


Raw

by moralpass



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Angst, Charming Family Feels, F/F, Flashbacks, Fluff, Light BDSM, Past Abuse, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-13 17:24:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 17
Words: 65,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5710834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moralpass/pseuds/moralpass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SQ AU; With only fifteen years under her belt, Emma Swan has enough hardships to bring anyone to their edge. When she finally escapes the horrors of her foster home, fate brings her home to her real family, they soon realize how broken she is. Emma is sent to a counselor to recover. Regina, her counselor is also a BDSM enthusiast with a surprising secret beneath all that leather.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I decided to post this on here as well, enjoy!

 

Free.  
The only words that swan though her brain as she sprinted down the deserted road, fueled by pure adrenaline as it was literally all she had to offer her malnurtured body. Over the span of four years she’d only been fed enough to keep her barely alive, and her jutting skeletal points were all the proof she needed to show she was starving, and the almost permanent ache that came with any hunger. 

It was night, and the rain from the evening had nestled itself into the cold cracks of asphalt, leaving it slick, so she shouldn’t have been surprised when fifteen minutes into her escape, she slipped and fell forward. Her reflexes were off, so she hit the pavement face first, crying out as she saw sparks. Luckily, the only superficial injury she’d sustained was a split lips, her bony finger reached up to touch the tender area, only to be yanked away at the contact. 

Emma composed herself and walked ahead, moving to the tree line where she would be provided good cover, just in case those bastards came looking for her. Her fists balled when she thought of having to go back to that place. No, now that she had a taste of freedom, a glimmer of hope, she couldn’t do it again going back would be the end of her. 

The night grew cold as she walked, it couldn’t be later than 11 or 12 and the thought of having to survive in the cold October night with only a ratty t-shirt and equally worn out jeans, didn’t sound too favorable. She supposed that it was better than the alternative and trekked on, hoping she’d reach town soon. Emma thought of where to go once she arrived, the police station? That didn’t sound too welcoming but it was the only option, no stranger would help her, even if they did, would she want it?

Emma had always been weary of people, not without justification either, no one had ever treated her with dignity or compassion so she didn’t know how to act as such. She knew it was fucked up, but it was a damned world out there for people like her who hadn’t been given a second chance. All her life she was rejected, tossed away when she wasn’t of use to anyone, and it had taken it’s toll, she knew she was broken beyond repair.  
Fifteen, almost sixteen years on Earth had felt like two lifetimes, she only wished for death, not even allowed the solace it would bring. Emma had her pride, so she never prayed to a God when things took a turn for the worse, she would live as her own unit and die the same. Pessimistic she may sound, but she felt rightful to be as there was not much for her to be optimistic about as of late. 

Emma rubbed up and down her arms, masked by gooseflesh, in hope that the friction would bring some illusion of warmth. Only when she saw the city lights did she think of those she left behind, the other children, the ones who relied on her for protection and comfort. Emma looked to the blue star they had deemed their charm.

“I’m keeping my promise.” Emma muttered, though they couldn’t hear her, the words were more for her than them. The sound of her voice was alien, she teared up slightly.  
The sign reading ‘Greeting from Philadelphia’ shown in the distance, and Emma ran to it, civilization bringing her more comfort than she could have ever imagined. 

The road traveling into town was dead, as it lead to nothing but farmland and open woods. Suburbs were nearest, and the replicated houses on either side of the road made her feel so small, she wasn’t sure how she was going to act when she would have to actually talk to a human being. 

“Cross that bridge when you get to it, Em.” She told herself, coming to a stop in front of a schoolhouse. She made her way over to the building, light fluttered out from one of the downstairs windows, she quickly and quietly made way over to it. Peering in, she could see a figure pouring over a stack of paper, looking entirely stressed the woman had a pixie haircut and looked like the picture of innocence. Emma decided that with this woman, she could cross the bridge, she had a good sense that she would be kind.  
Emma knocked on the window three times sharply, the woman jolted up to a standpoint and turned to where the sound originated. 

“Hello?” Came her voice, muffled by the glass. Emma knocked again, in a pattern this time, she wasn’t sure she could project her voice loud enough to reach the ears of this woman. 

Sure enough, she walked to the window, pulled the shades up and revealed Emma, who knew she looked like hell. The teacher gasped and opened the window in one swift move. 

“Are you okay? What are you doing out there, it’s freezing!” She looked so concerned, Emma had never been looked at in such a way, she found herself in a pool of tears before she could even think twice. “Oh, dear, hold on.” The woman said and ran out of the room, only to arrive by Emma’s side in moments, she pulled her close and led her back into the building constructed of brick. 

They were soon in the classroom Emma had found her in, sitting on a small couch in the far corner under a set of windows. The woman sat Emma down before moving to make her something to drink, she could tell the girl was in desperate need of some TLC. Handing her a steaming mug of cocoa, she sat with her legs crossed beside the sobbing blonde, rubbing comforting circles into her back, she almost jerked away when she felt her spine, but didn’t. 

“I’m Mary Margret.” She said simply. “Do you want to tell me your name?” Mary Margret asked. 

 

Emma inhaled and exhaled shakily, once, twice, before she could muster up a sentence that would be coherent. “Emma.” She sniffed. “Swan, if we’re being cordial.” It felt nice to talk, she realized. 

“Emma.” Mary Margret smiled. “What were you doing outside so late, you’ll catch your death?” 

“Running.” Emma shrugged. “Death seemed welcoming at the time, still does in all honesty.” 

Mary Margret’s heart went out to the teen, she was shocked someone so young could be so wishful for death, then again, this girl looked like she’d been through a storm of sorrow. The pain was etched into her features, she could be beautiful if she’d only smile.  
“Can you tell me who you were running from?” She asked.

“My-“ Emma choked. “My foster parent’s.” 

“Did they hurt you?” Mary Margret asked, she knew the answer before the girl had even begun to cry once more, allowing the teacher to pull her into an embrace. Emma was shocked at herself, she never liked being touched and would wiggle out of any contact whenever possible, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so, she felt safe in that moment.

“Please help them,” Emma croaked. “The other kids, they can still make it, please.” Emma cried. “There still have hope, they can make it.” Her words were confused and jumbled, she couldn’t stop them from coming out that way. 

“Okay, okay.” Mary Margret soothed. “Hey, don’t worry, everything will be okay, Emma, I promise.” 

Emma grew solemn, she’d heard those words before, four years ago. “You shouldn’t promise me anything.” She whispered, knowing the woman couldn’t hear her.  
“I need to call the police, they can help the other kids, and they can help you, too.” Mary Margret stood before Emma could object, she didn’t want to deal with the police. 

“David? Hey, no I’m fine still in class. No, I need you to come over here as soon as possible, there’s a young girl here and she,” The teacher glanced back at Emma before turning again, she twirled the cord between slender fingers. “Just get to the school. Yes now, David!” She hung up and rolled her eyes. “My husband.” She explained. “I love him but he’s so dense sometimes.” She chuckled in a dry attempt to lighten the mood. 

Emma smiled weakly, but wasn’t feeling much like joking as she took another long drink of the cocoa, finishing it off. “Thank you.” She said, placing the mug on the small oak table that sat beside the sofa. 

“Of course,” She smiled. “How old are you?” 

“How old are you?” Emma countered, the woman looked taken back, and Emma let her features soften. “I’m sorry, it’s a defense. I’m fifteen, sixteen pretty soon.”

“That’s a good age.” Mary Margret replied. 

“I wish I could agree with you.” Emma breathed, not taking her eyes off of her hands where she tweaked them in her lap. 

Mary Margret smiled sadly, squeezing the girl’s knee lightly just as David breezed into the room, Emma stiffed visibly as he did. “It’s okay, this is my husband.” She stood, and linked arms with the man to introduce him to her. “David, this is Emma, Emma, David.”  
“Hi Emma, wanna tell me what’s up?” He asked, pulling a chair over to sit in front of her. He leaned on the back of the chair, sitting on it backwards. Emma shook her head, the couple shared a look before David went on. “Is it okay if Mary Margret tells me what you said?” He asked, she nodded. The teacher told him what she knew as Emma awkwardly stared out the window. 

“Hey.” She said. “You’re not going to send me back, are you?” 

“No, of course not, we just need to figure out why you ran in the first place. If you can tell us, we can help you, and the other kids as well.” 

Emma breathed in, she wasn’t she she could handle a sob story right now, because it would be one no doubt. “What if they hurt them?”

“Hey, we won’t let that happen, but you gotta tell us.” The man urged, he had kind eyes and Emma felt she could trust him, at least a little.

Emma took a deep breath and closed her eyes, back to four years ago she took herself, when it all began. Tears were flowing even before she could begin. 

 

Four years ago.

The farmhouse was old and looked like a tornado had recently hit it. Emma stared up at the ominous building through her youthful eyes, and hoped this time would be different. A man and woman emerged from the house, they looked like a typical american family, with her in a ruffly dress and hair curled up at the ends, and he tall with a lanky build, wearing a suit and large rimmed glasses. She smiled at them, and they smiled back, something was still off. 

Her social worker, Susan Neiman, a red head who was only a couple inches taller than the skinny 11 year old, stood by her side with a comforting hand pressed to the small of her back. 

“Hi, Emma, I’m Miss Caroline, this is Mr Wyatt, my husband.” The woman said in an oh-so cheery voice, Emma winced, no one was that happy. “Would you like to see your new home?” She asked, Emma nodded shyly, hooking herself onto Susan. 

“Come on, Ems.” Susan urged, walking up with Emma to the porch before turning her so they were face to face. “Okay, I’m going to go now, but you’re going to love it here, these people are very nice, they’re going to take care of you, okay?” Emma nodded, but a tear threatened at her rims. “Don’t cry, I’ll come visit you, I promise.” Susan wiped away her tear, and kissed her on the forehead. She did visit, but only once. 

“Come on, girl.” Miss Caroline smiled and extended her hand to Emma, who took it nervously, while glancing up to her husband who continued to stare quietly with a cigarette placed between his thin pressed lips. Emma couldn’t place the look in his eyes, but it didn’t help her feel at ease one bit, in fact, it only made matters wore. 

Miss Caroline led her upstairs to a small square of a room with white curtains that swayed as a result of the open window they decorated. A twin sized bed on an antiqued metal frame sat in the far corner, red polka dots over a white comforter was spread neatly across it, a single pillow at the head. The lady smiled down at her, she had large white teeth that were only slightly bucked.

“Do you like it?” She asked, Emma nodded slowly. “Okay, I have to start dinner, now.” She said, Emma didn’t let go as she moved to leave. “Put your things away, girl. And welcome home.” She said, Emma let go reluctantly before she was left alone in the bare and unfamiliar room. She looked to the closet and crept over to it. Upon opening she found it to be bare aside from a ruffled lace dress, she toyed with the material, unaware to the footsteps that neared. 

“You like it?” She jumped to find Mr. Wyatt leaned up against the doorway, his cigarette gone, a toothpick in it’s wake. His voice was deep and had a slight southern undertone so it was just recognizable. 

Emma nodded, letting the dress fall back to it’s original place. “It’s pretty.” 

“Yeah, it was our daughters, before she died.” He said, Emma looked at the dress sadly, trying to place a young version of the couple within. 

“I’m sorry.” She said.

“It’s quite alright, that’s just life and death, child, nothin’ to be sorry about, ‘less you’re the one that took a life that is.” He nodded towards the dress. “Try it on.” He said.  
“Now?” She asked, he nodded once more. “Could you-” She urged towards the open door for some privacy. 

“You ain’t got nothing to hide, do ya?” He asked. 

She wanted to run, she didn’t like the way he was looking at her, the way he was pushing her. “It probably won’t even fit, it’s fine.” Emma excused, hanging the dress up once more. 

“I said try it on.” Mr. Wyatt wouldn’t budge. Emma’s throat went dry and she stripped of her clothes, she hadn’t been developed enough to need a bra, so she was without one and exposed to his big, wandering eyes. It took all she had not to cry, and stay strong as she changed into the frilly material. “Looks good.” He winked. “Wear it to dinner, it’ll be served soon.” And he was gone, only then did she let out a breath she’d been withholding shakily. 

Emma unpacked her things and sat on the bed, she hoped this would be as bad as it got, she hoped with all she could this would be as bad as it got. 

“Dinner!” Came the voice of Miss Caroline from downstairs. Emma moved through the labyrinthine halls trying to find to find the room she did seek. After a minute or two she stumbled into the kitchen, tripping over a loose floorboard. 

“Sorry.” She muttered, even though she hadn’t done anything. Emma took the empty seat by on the left side of the large rectangular table. The Mr and Mrs sat at either head. They ate pork chops and vegetable medley along with fried potatoes. Emma smiled at the first substantial meal she’d had in weeks.

“This is good, thank you.” She smiled to the woman, avoiding all eye contact with her spouse. Emma went to take another bite out of the meat, when it fell off her fork and the juicy white meat left a meaty stain on the white lace. Before she could ever apologize or comprehend, Mr. Wyatt was grabbing her by the arm with one hand and giving her a hard slap with the other. 

“How dare you! You ruined her dress, you little cunt!” He yelled, dropping her to the floor. 

“Wyatt, are you insane!” Miss Caroline rushed to aid the girl. “Emma, look at me, are you alright?” Emma touched her cheek, it was sore to the touch, but she nodded in spite of it, she’d felt worse. “Okay, it’s okay, I don’t know what’s gotten into that man.” She grumbled, pulling Emma to stand and brushing off the dust she’d gathered from the floor, poking at the stain. “Nothing a little bleach can’t fix.” She winked, Emma smiled and let her lead her down the stair to the washing machine. 

Emma disregarded the suffocating dress, happier to be out of it than she ever would have thought possible. Miss Caroline handed her an old tee and cotton shorts that were just a little too big. Emma traded these new clothes for the dress and put them on after saying ‘thank you’ once more. 

“You don’t have to thank me for everything, I’m taking care of you now.” The woman smiled, Emma returned it, how was such a kind soul married to that bastard, she wondered. 

“Okay,” Emma turned her head down shyly, wanting to ask the question but deciding it too soon and too risky. The pair made way hand in hand up the steps and cleaned up the dinner mess together before retiring to the den, where they would watch television until Emma fell asleep sprawled on the couch over the woman’s lap. 

Caroline looked down at the small girl, she felt for her an knew that she wouldn’t be able to handle living with her husband as he continued to abuse her, she would have to confront him about it soon, but the time wasn’t right yet. 

The woman got up slowly, shifting the girl’s weight so she wouldn’t take notice to her absence, placing a pillow under her head and a blanket over her thin little body to warm her through the night. With a goodnight, the pressed her index and middle finger to her lips then once again to the little blonde’s forehead, and she headed up the stairs.

She entered the room to find Wyatt reading a book, probably something from work, she assumed and moved over to the dresser. As she changed into her gown she could feel his lubricous gaze burning holes into her back, as well as other parts. When she heard him getting off the bed, she moved over to the nightstand and tried to feign busy so she could get out of doing what she knew was coming. She went rigid as she felt his large hands envelope her, he kissed her exposed neck. Caroline squirmed, but he would not concede, she chuckled distressfully. 

“I’m not really in the mood, Wyatt.” She said.

“Well maybe I can get you into the mood.” He murmured and tried to break the ice, but it only proved in causing her further discomfort. 

“No, please, not tonight.” She begged, he backed off clearly angry.

“Why, is it because of the girl?” He said, loudly. “That little girl deserved what she got! She ruined Maize’s dress!” He bit.

“Only because you made her wear it!” She said in a hushed shout. “That was an accident, and the dress is clean! You can’t do this again Wyatt, we need to send her back, she doesn’t deserve this.” Caroline hissed, unable to stop being so resolute. 

“So this is my fault, is it?” He asked, and soon invaded her personal space, grabbing her by the both shoulders, he had an overall advantage over her, she felt powerless. Wyatt pushed her onto the bed, hard, and soon her was straddling her, pulling himself out of the pajamas he wore. He slapped his cock on her leg, that was all it took for it to become erect, he was easily weakened by power.

Caroline tried not to cry as she had all the times before as he entered her, she was dry and could feel the sapless skin of her embankment ripping away as he pounded into her.  
“Ah!” She cried out in agony, he only pressed harder and she was crying now, it hurt so bad, worse than ever. “Wyatt Please this isn’t you.” She tried to reason. 

“That’s where you’re wrong Carry, this is all me.” He said, pounding deep and hard as he said the last four words, she screamed out at the last thrust, tears flowing free as he rolled off of her. 

“You’re a pig.” She uttered, but he’d already fallen asleep, but she lay awake hours into the night, she was praying, praying for young Emma’s salvation, praying for herself to find her way away from the dark thoughts that had become less far between, and threatened to take over soon. She sniffed, she had to stay strong, at least until she could help Emma escape, she had to, she couldn’t let another innocent die at this man’s hand. Man, she thought, he was barely that anymore. With that final thought she fell into a restless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Emma told them the worst of her times in that nether pit of a house, and the couple had been gaping with their mouths closed when she finally met their eyes. David cleared his throat, he had been speechless for the first time in his career, he couldn’t say anything that would be of any consolation to this girl, and his heart ached for her. 

Mary Margret grabbed her hands, always the comforting one, people warmed around her, and she them. “That’s never going to be your life again, Emma, I will make sure of it, both of us will.” She looked to David, he nodded. “And tomorrow, we’ll have a warrant, and the other kids will be safe, too. Okay?” She soothed, Emma nodded weakly, and again allowed herself to be pulled into a tight hug, courtesy of the teacher. 

As they embraced, Mary Margret and David shared a look, silently communicating that they needed to do something quickly to help the girl who was in a quite fragile state.   
“Are you hungry?” David asked, Emma inhaled and wiped her eyes as Mary Margret released her. 

“Yeah.” She said in a shy voice. 

“Me too, why don’t we go grab some grub?” He stood, and extending his hand to his wife and the other to Emma, both accepted and they soon found themselves in his truck, on the way to, apparently, the best diner in Philly.

It took about ten minutes of listening to their banter before they pulled into a space aside an all-night diner labeled Granny’s. The trio took a seat at a booth in the far back corner, a bright and cheery waitress popped up soon after.

“Hey guys, who’s this?” She asked, her name was Ruby, Emma noticed, she was tall and looked like a model, she chewed a piece of cinnamon gum, Emma could smell it from where she sat. 

“This is Emma, she’s a friend of ours.” David answered.

“Geez, kid, you get beat up or something?”Ruby asked, touching her lips where Emma’s was spilt. 

“Ruby!” Mary Margret scolded.

“What! I just wanted to know if the other guy looks worse!” She replied, Emma couldn’t help but laugh, despite it all she’d kept her sense of humor, in most cases. 

“No, it’s okay, I actually fell, and the road looks fine, it was pretty one-sided.” Emma shrugged, but she wore a smirk. 

“Heh heh, I like her.” Ruby nodded, she then pulled out her notepad and held it up, ready to write. “What’re you having?” She asked Emma first. 

“Uh, burger with the works.” She answered. “Onion rings please.” She looked to Mary Margret and David for approval, they smiled at her a ‘yes’, then ordered for themselves.   
“So,” Emma said, pushing her hands into her lap. “Where are you going to take me after this? Because if it’s back to the orphanage, I’d rather take my chances out in the world.” They both looked stunned and Emma actually regretted asking, but she felt it was needed. 

“We weren’t going to take you anywhere, not unless you have somewhere you have to be, or want to be.” David raised his brows in question, she shook her head. “Well, excellent, then you’ll be coming home with us.” He smiled, and then their food was placed before them.

“Thanks.” Emma smiled up at Ruby.

“It’s my job,” Ruby winked, Emma flustered, she hadn’t a clue why. 

The young blonde wanted to scarf up her food as soon as she saw it, but her open would was not allowing such insolence, so she took small bites, careful not to mix the two. Even having to eat like a fairy, she finished soon after the couple, and after bidding adieu to the spunky waitress, they were headed back in the direction of the suburbs, traveling down the same road Emma had come on, she feared they would take her back to that awful place. Her fears subsided when a right turn was made and they pulled into the drive way of a quaint two-story house that didn’t look at all like the others. 

Emma smiled, she loved the house, it looked like a dollhouse, all perfect and adorable, it suited the couple well. They entered, Emma wandered into the darkened foyer, a light was switched on and she was revealed a large spiral staircase to her right, and a cozy den to her left.

“You must be tired,” Mary Margret began as she hung her coat over the rack.

“Yeah,” Emma let out, she was actually exhausted, standing was even a chore. “Should I take the couch?” She asked. 

David laughed heartily, Emma was unsure what was so funny, but let out an awkward chortle anyway. “Only if you want to, but we have a bed upstairs that you might like better.” 

“That’d be awesome,” Emma grinned, she hadn’t slept in a bed in two years, after that man had moved them into the basement for good. 

“Follow me,” Mary Margret said and they trailed after her up the stairs, when suddenly a cry sounded out through the house. “Oh, dear.” The teacher said and increased her speed, opening up a door just right of landing

Emma stood by the stairs unsure of what to do, as David stepped into the room after her, motioning for Emma to follow, she stepped into a blue room with twinkling lighting the the shape of airplanes lining one wall, and murals painted onto all. Some of the thing’s she could make out were of dragons, fairies, and other mythical, magical beings. She decided she liked this room, when she looked over to the couple, Mary Margret cradled an infant in attempts to soothe it’s mutterings. 

“Emma,” She whispered, snapping the teen in question out of her stupor. “Come meet James.” Emma smiled and moved to stand next to the woman, she stared down to the face of an infant that was all David. His features were scrunched in a bitter punch, the only notion that he’d been crying.

“He’s precious, how old?” She asked.

“He’s nine months.” David answered as Mary Margret placed James gently back into the crib, they weaved out of the nursery and showed Emma to the room she would stay in. Opening the door revealed royal purple walls, a large bed centering with all white bedding, and white twinkling lights that dangled from the ceiling. At the far and were two more doors and a bay window, but the view of the outside was cut off by shutters that were in their shut mode. 

“There’s a bathroom through there, I can bring you some clothes until we get you some of your own.” Mary Margret told her, Emma turned bleary eyed.

“I don’t know why you guys are being so nice to me, but thank you.” She said, and the couple were surprised when pulled into a group hug by the teen herself. “So much.” She finished. 

“It’s no problem, I’ll be right back with some clothes, okay?” Emma nodded and went to the bathroom where she began to strip herself of the sticky garments. 

Mary Margret walked in just as Emma removed her shirt, countless lashes and brushed decorated her back, she found the same scene when the girl turned and revealed her stomach.

“Oh, Emma.” The teacher said. “I’m sorry, I should have knocked.” She said hurriedly and began to back away.

“No, no, it’s okay, they don’t even hurt anymore.” Emma said, not wanting to make the woman uncomfortable, she lied and poked on the bruises, but she surprised herself when it actually did spark some discomfort. “Okay, that one, that one does, but not all.”  
The teacher smiled softly and handed her the clothing she’d promised.

“We’ll talk about this in the morning.” She said, Emma nodded. 

“Thanks again.” Emma said shyly.

“Oh, you don’t have to thank me, I’m happy to take care of you.” She smiled and left the room, the door clicking softly behind her as she checked on her sons once more before joining David in there bedroom. He had a displaced look on his face, she furrowed her brows as she moved to wrap her small arms around his broad shoulders. 

“What’s eatin’ you?” She asked, resting her chin on his shoulder. He sighed and melted into her. 

“She has your chin,” He said, she backed away and looked at him like he were a ghost.   
“What are you talking about?” She asked, but she knew. 

“Emma, she has your chin, she looks like you, what if it’s-” He began, but she shook her head, tears were coming once more. 

“No, no, David don’t say that, you know how I feel about this.” She backed away from him, but he stood, his eyes shown with the promise of tears, and wide-eyed, he grabbed her so she had no choice but to face him and listen. 

“Her name is Emma, she resembles you and me, she’s fifteen, don’t tell me you didn’t put this together already.” He said, she continued to shake her head in denial. 

“You don’t really think,” She began, he nodded, she choked up at the thought of this girl being the very one she’d given up for adoption when she was only fifteen herself. She poured into her loving husband and began to weep for the mistake she’d made years ago.

“It’s okay.” He said. “This is fate, fate brought her back home to us, Snow.” He used her nickname for the first time since college. 

“She’s going to hate us, we can’t tell her, David, we can’t.” She said, he shook his head.   
“How long do you think that’s going to work, Snow? You know you can’t keep a secret.” He said looking her dead in the eyes. 

“I know, but what else are we going to do? We have to protect her, we can’t let her down again.” Snow tried to convince him, but to no avail. 

“We don’t have to do it today, or tomorrow, or even anytime soon, but we do have to tell her.” He said, she nodded, he was right. 

“Okay, but let’s be sure first.” She compromised, he looked deep into her before giving her a placid kiss on her teary lips. 

“Okay, we’ll be sure.” David agreed, he helped his wife dress for bed before slipping in next to her himself. They slept wrapped up in each-other as they both tried to forgive themselves all over again for giving Emma up in the first place, but they found no solace and fell into equally restless spells of sleep. 

 

Emma stood under the hot spray of the shower as she let it burn into her skin, it felt better than any explanation she could give, and she was more content in that moment than she could ever remember having been. She washed over her whole body as the scent of wild cherry filled the cubical. After washing her hair with little complaints from her lips when stray suds would travel over wound, she stepped out and into the leggings and oversized tee she’d been given. They fit well and she went to sleep in the cloud of a bed, dreaming of all the wonderful things in life as she couldn’t come up with a reason to be anything but happy in that moment.

When she woke, she stretched out, loving the way her bones would crack and her muscles would ache in that oh so sweet way. Opening her eyes she was face to face with a young boy, he couldn’t be any older than ten, he was staring at her like she was some kind of freak in a circus. 

“Hey?” She said, he tilted his head, even more confused. 

“Who’re you?” He said.

“That depends, who’re you?” Emma countered, he giggled, she looked at him sourly as he hopped onto the bed next to her. 

“I’m Henry,” He answered, she just nodded. “Your turn.” He urged.

“Uh, Emma.” She answered, he gasped and ran to his parents room, emerging with a knit blanket of white and purple trimming. 

“This is you?” He asked, pointing out where it was stitched ‘Emma’ into the fabric.   
“No, I mean probably not, I just got here last night.” She replied. 

“Oh, okay.” He looked defeated. “Anyway, Mom made breakfast, she wanted to know if you were hungry.” He looked around. “Are you?” Henry asked, not giving her time to answer.

“Yeah, sure, lead the way.” Emma replied, he grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs to where the scent of bacon, eggs, and pancakes greeted them.

“Good morning,” Mary Margret greeted as the two, led by Henry swept into the large and bright kitchen. She looked at Emma and gave the brightest smile she could see without thinking twice. “You look beautiful.” She said. 

Emma looked at her like she just exploded a hamster. “Uh, thanks.” She answered, taking a seat at the empty table.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, serving them each a full plate before making James a bottle of formula, organic of course. 

“Better, how about you, you look tired?” Emma returned, the woman did indeed look worn out, and her exasperated sigh was all the answer Emma needed. 

“I didn’t sleep to well, had a lot on my mind,” Mary Margret trailed off. “Work and stuff, nothing I’d want to bother you with.” The woman covered her tracks.

“I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t be a bother, you have to remember that I haven’t had regular conversation in quite a while.” Emma drowned her hot cakes in maple syrup, Henry laughed to himself before attempting to do the same, but a glare from his mother stopped him and he only let enough spill out to cover the dish. 

“I guess you’re right, but who wants to talk about work?” She laughed and chewed thoughtfully on some eggs as Emma shrugged and did the same. “So what should we do today? I mean, what do you want to do?” 

Emma thought about the question, scrunching her face in a way that reminded Snow of Henry way too much. “Anything sounds fun, I’m pretty easy to please so whatever you come up with I’m sure I’ll enjoy.” 

Mary Margret smiled at her cooperation and ease, Emma fit right in to their family, but she knew there was a good reason behind that. 

“How about we go shopping, I’m sure you’d like some new clothes.” Snow suggested.   
Emma looked unsure, she didn’t want this woman to do anything more for her than she had to, she’d already shown her more than the usual kindness. 

“I insist.” Mary Margret said when she could see the teen reeling back towards answering a negative. 

“Okay, we’ll shop then, but nothing extravagant.” Emma compromised. 

“Oh, of course not, just the necessities.” Mary Margret agreed to disagree, but she was going to shop for her daughter the first time, and she’d be damned if she didn’t go overboard. 

The family finished breakfast and got ready for the day as Emma insisted upon doing the dishes while they showered and dressed. After about an hour they regrouped in the mudroom, pulling on a coat each before crowding into the car, Emma in the front, and the two boys in the back. 

“Yay!” Mary Margret exclaimed as they sped off to the mall. “I love shopping, I never have time any more with work, and then all my free time elsewhere is spent with the boys. This is going to be so fun! What do you like to wear? When I was your age I was a goth,” She laughed and continued on rambling as Emma and Henry’s eyes met in the rearview mirror. The boy mouthed a ‘sorry’ and Emma just winked at him and laughed silently, listening on the the woman in the driver’s seat. 

After getting caught in a jam, they made it to the mall in decent time. Getting out of the car was an ordeal in it’s own and Emma found herself cracking up as Mary Margret struggled to open the stroller, hitting it against the pavement quite violently. After that cluster, the car seat jammed and they spent a good five minutes arguing over what was wrong before Henry simply told them to move, and unlocked it with ease.   
“We loosened it up.” Emma deadpanned.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Henry replied, walking ahead. The two girls shared a look before breaking out into laughter once more. 

They finally made it into the mall, and Emma was enthralled by it all, she’d never been to a mall and the two that had found it amusing and adorable as she asked and ogled over the simplest things.

“Why does that look like a cabin?” Emma asked as they neared a Hollister, once in front of it Emma breathed in and nearly choked on the scent of perfume. “Oh, no, never, we need to escape.”

“My thoughts exactly, though they do have nice jeans.” Mary Margret agreed, hurrying after the excited teen. “How about here, they have cute stuff for kids your age.” She pointed to a Forever 21. Emma took one look and shook her head. 

“Too frilly.” She explained. Snow nodded and followed her over to the American Eagle, where Emma found jeans and tees galore. Trying on all types of styles and washes, she decided on five pairs after the teacher’s insistence she get more than just the one, then repeated the process four times over. The same insistence was pushed upon when Emma tried on tees and cardigans, ending up with a medley of nearly 20. 

Mary Margret didn’t let her see the price as she paid, she wanted Emma to understand she was doing this because she wanted to, not because she saw the girl as a charity case. They went to a few other shops and picked out small items at each, tees and a couple of skirts before coming to a close outside the shoe store.

“Shoes?” She asked Emma, who glanced down at her beaten up converse that at one point were white, but now a dirty shade of gray with scuffs and holes aloof. 

“I kinda like these.” Emma tried to scoot away from being splurged on anymore. 

“Shoes it is.” Mary Margret said and pulled her children into the large shop. Emma moved about the aisles, she already knew she wanted Converse, they were the best. Wasting no time she picked up a pair, gray in color with green rubber. She held them up to Mary Margret who nodded and ordered a staff member to retrieve her size in that color and another. Emma decided not to fight her kindness and asked for a maroon pair, as well. 

Their escapade now over, they sat in the car buzzing about where to go to eat.   
“Ugh, Mom, no more salad, I’m turning green!” Henry answered when she suggested Sweet Tomatoes. 

“They have other things!” His mother argued. 

“Let’s go to Urban’s!” He suggested, she looked at Emma. 

“It’s cheese steak sub’s, you can’t really say you live in Philly until you’ve been initiated by Urban’s.” She said, Emma beamed and nodded.

“Sounds awesome.” The blonde agreed. They all ordered up, Mary Margret making sure they got a fair serving of vegetables as well as meat and cheese, then the family sat at a bench watching the world go by as they enjoyed their subs. 

“This. Is. Amazing.” Emma said, swallowing, she looked kindly to the woman she was blissfully unaware to be her mother. “This has been the best day of my life, thank you all so much.” 

“That means so much to hear, Emma, we’re so happy to have you with us.” They both smiled before finishing off the rest of their food, and sitting to digest a moment as they people-watched. 

“Gross that guy just picked his ear and sniffed it!” Emma called out, secretly pointed over to the man in question. 

“Let’s see where he goes.” Snow laughed, they watched as the man walked over to a woman and shook her hand, using the same hand that had just been knuckle deep in ear wax. 

“Grody.” Henry agreed, then they all went back to the station wagon and headed home. David’s cruiser was parked on his side of the drive, his truck left at the precinct. 

“Daddy!” Henry called, jumping his father, who scooped him up and kissed his cheek.

“EW!” His son exclaimed, wiping the remnants of the kiss away with the back of his hand. David felt his heart stop, he knew in that moment that Emma was really his daughter, he could see himself in her eyes, and he looked a bit too long.

“What’s wrong?” Emma asked when she saw the emotion upon her arrival. “Do I look bad?” She said, looking around for a mirror to examine. 

“No, I’m sorry, you look beautiful. I’m just happy to see you looking so bright today.” He smiled, she returned it. “So what did everyone do today?” He asked, hanging on to every word as Emma reran her mental record of the day with a shine in her eyes that he hadn’t seen the night before. 

“So, yeah, we had a great day.” His daughter finished. “How about you, what’s new in CopLand?” She joked. 

“I’m glad, but not much, but we did manage to get a warrant for those people, they’ll be sent out in about an hour to collect the kids and arrest those bastards.” His fists balled when he thought of what he was going to do to the sleaze that hurt his daughter, along with other innocents, to him that was inexcusable. 

“Really?” Emma looked shocked. “Can I come?” She asked, he looked taken back.

“What? Why would you want that?” He asked. 

“They’ll be scared of you guys, I don’t want them to be afraid, please?” She asked, pleating with her eyes, he nodded. 

“You won’t be afraid?” David asked. 

“Yeah of course I will, I’m scared just thinking about it, but you’ll be there to protect me, right?” She looked at him, hopeful. 

David nodded, wrapping one arm around the small teen. “Of course, I’ll be right by your side the whole time.” He agreed. 

“So let’s get this son of a bitch!” Emma exclaimed, terror and excitement fought against one another within her, giving her a rush like no other. 

“Emma!” Mary Margret scolded from the kitchen. 

“Sorry!” She sang, but David was laughing with her.

“Alright, Snow, we’re going to go get this son of a bitch!” David called, Emma burst into giggles as his wife yelled at him to keep his language in check.


	3. Chapter 3

Warning; Implicated child rape. This chapter made me quite emotional, I’m not not quick to cry but, I did. Enjoy, thank you for reading!  
Emma’s nerves picked up as they sped down the open road, the same one she’d been running down last night. David could sense that she was having second thoughts.   
“Wanna go home?” He asked.  
She pushed his reference of his home as a general one, aside and shook her head.   
“This is noble of you Emma, you know that.” David said.  
The girl scoffed. “How do you figure that? It’s my fault they’re here anyway, I wasn’t enough for him, if only I had tried harder he wouldn’t have even-” She trailed off, not wanting to show her weakness once more. David looked to her, shocked by the confession.   
“Take it back.” He stated simply.   
“What?” Emma asked, and shook her head.  
“Take it back, Emma.” He pulled the car over so her could look her in the eyes, his eyes. “None of this is on you, that man, he’s a sick fuck, you know that, right? You’ve gotta know that by now, this is the doing of a perverted fucking,” He trailed off, not knowing the right words to say. “You know what I mean, so take it back.” David finished.   
Emma nodded, tucking her blonde strands back into submission behind her ear. “Okay, I take it back.”  
“Okay.” He gave a nod and peeled back onto the road, they road in silence until they pulled up to the house, another cruiser was right behind them. “Wait here.” David said.  
“No, you said I could help!” Emma grew fretful.   
“I know, but first we need to get him into custody, once he’s in cuffs you can show us where they are, okay?” She nodded, he did too and ran over to his fellow officer, the two wearing uniforms, while David just wore a leather jacket, button up, and workingman’s jeans.   
Emma chewed her hair as they knocked, her heart was in her chest as Mr. Wyatt answered the door, she could see him yell and punch David, then try to run. The other officer’s took him down quickly and yanked him off the ground, into the cruiser. David motioned for Emma to come over while he held his nose.   
Emma could feel her heart beat all over, in her finger tips, her stomach, just everywhere, as she walked up the steps. David took her hand, offering her some stability, he gave her a look as if to ask ‘are you okay’, and she nodded. David smiled despite the situation at the unspoken bond he and his daughter already had formed.   
“This is it.” Emma said stopping in front of a door, the one to the basement. With her hand on the knob she inhaled, he could hear her breath hitching. Emma closed her eyes and just when she was about to open the door, David placed a comforting hand on hers and opened it for her.   
“It’s okay, I’m here with you.” David urged, Emma clasped his hand as he led the way down the creaky steps. There were two doors on either side of the concrete landing, Emma moved to the one on the right and pushed it open.   
There was a squeal and Emma let out the sob she’d been holding back when two little girl’s jumped into her open arms.   
“Nemma!” They cried, David got a good look at them, twins. “Nemma, Sebby not waking up.” One of the little voices sounded. Emma gave David an alarmed look as he burst into the room to find a young boy, no older than Henry, lying face first in a pool of blood.   
David fell to his side and turned him over, he didn’t know what he expected, but what he found was much worse. He brought his hands up to his face and wiped his mouth as he tried not scream out in defeat, the boy couldn’t have been dead more than an hour, his throat slit wide open.   
“David?” Emma called. “What’s wrong?” She appeared in the doorway, David held his hand up as if it were any cover. Emma fell to her knees.  
“My fault, I told you it’s-” She began to sob again, David covered the body with a tattered blanket before scooping Emma up.   
“And I told you it’s not.” He whispered, he asked the girls to follow him, but they grabbed his free hand allowed him to lead them to where the cruiser awaited. With the girls in the back seated, curled around Emma, he went to break the news to his co-workers.   
“What’s up?” His deputy, Downs asked when he saw the look in his boss’ eyes.   
David shook his head. “There was a dead kid down there, he killed him right in front of the other two, and then left him there to rot.” David glared at the man in the back of the cruiser. “Get this fuck out of here, we need forensics and a body bag. I’m going to bring those three back to the station, get a statement if I can, fuck Downs I could have saved him, he was still warm.”   
“You can’t save ‘em all, Chief.” Downs replied, patting his boss the on the shoulder as he began to walk back to his car.   
“But I could’ve saved this one.” He pressed, Downs shook his head and looked over to the new addition, a woman with the last name Salazar.   
“Let’s go.” Downs urged and got into the passengers seat. The followed David for a while, then turned off onto the freeway where he kept going straight, choosing to stay on the main roads for the comfort of his passengers.   
Arriving at the precinct in twenty minutes time, the four of them made way into a room where the girls’ could be questioned. David allowed Emma to stay, since they twins didn’t show any signs of letting go of their rock.   
“So, can we start with what happened to the boy, Sebastian?” Emma nodded at the correct use of his name.   
“Ava, you said you saw what happened, yeah?” The baby blonde to her left nodded. “Can you tell David for me, he’s really nice, I promise.” Ava nodded and looked David straight in the face.   
“Mr. Wyatt killed him, with a big knife.” She used her little hands to initiate just how big she was talking. “I used to see it in the kitchen, but he never used it like that before.” She finished. “Is Sebby a ghost now?” She asked.   
David looked to Emma, the more adept at dealing with the pair. “No, he went home, he’s safe now.” She answered.   
“Okay.” The girl nodded and buried herself deeper into Emma’s arm. “We go home, too?”   
Emma shook her head. “I don’t know where we’re going, baby.”  
David continued to question the girls, Emma being his translator for the most part, but there wasn’t much they could tell him, because Emma requested that questions regarding their abuse were left solely to her account, she didn’t want the twins to relive it.  
So Eve and Ava were led into a playroom where they would sit with a consoler who would evaluate them to see if they were stable enough to be adopted or placed back into a home. 

“I’m going to have to record this.” David told the teen, she nodded and put on a brave face so she could tell him all about her life before this, their life.   
“I guess I’ll start from the beginning, well their beginnings.” David nodded, Emma took a deep breath and went on to relive her nightmare. 

Two years earlier

Emma cried so hard, she begged him not to, but he wouldn’t listen, so she pushed her aside as he went to answer the door.   
“You stay there and shut the hell up!” He demanded, she cowered and curled up into the corner she listened to the voices echoing through the house.   
“Hello, nice to see you again Susan, how’ve you been?” Emma could see him and his attempts to flirt with the social worker, and she could see the woman in question just eating it up.   
“I’ve been well, and I see you have been too, new paint job?” She asked.  
“You noticed, yes, thought the house needed some sprucing up, I like it but,” He trailed off and Emma couldn’t make out the rest of what he said.   
“I’m so sorry, where’s Emma, I’d love to see her!” She said, Emma perked up but sank back when Mr. Wyatt spoke up.   
“Ah, she’s napping upstairs, we played tag and she just tuckered out after, love that girl to pieces.” He said.  
“I’m glad Emma’s found her home here, and I know these three will fit right in.” Emma’s heart stopped, there were going to be three more children submitted to this Hell. “This is Ava and Eve, the twins, and this is Sebastian.”   
“Hi, I’m Mr. Wyatt, welcome home.” Emma felt bile rise out of her depths, this man was revolting to the core. Emma heard the door slam and feet shuffling. “Emma!” He shouted, she ran to where he stood with three new faces, all beaming up at her. She had to look away, she couldn’t stand the hope they exuded, the thought that they could think this place to be their home disgusted her, she wanted to save them, but she couldn’t even save herself.  
“Hi.” She said despite her best efforts not to speak to the fresh faces.   
“Hello Nemma.” One of the twins smiled up at her.   
“It’s Emma.” She corrected, but the girl only shook her hand and repeated the nickname. “Okay, Nemma then.” She breathed out.   
“Yeah, so take them downstairs and leave them in our playroom, then start dinner.” The warden commanded, she felt her veins run dry.  
“Can’t they just watch T.V. and we can go play?” She asked, he laughed, but it was filled with evil and not any shred of happiness.   
“No, I don’t want you anymore, Em, you’re boring, remember?” He smiled at his new victims, salaciously and Emma would throw up if she had any food in her belly.   
“We get to play with Daddy!” The boy clapped, Emma ran to the bathroom and retched over the toilet, only spilling out a clear stream of bile.   
“Nemma, okay?” Came the voice of a twin.  
“Nemma’s okay.” Emma said when she retreated, the girl clasped her hand and Emma just barely managed to lead them down the stairs, her legs threatened to give way beneath her.   
“I’m sorry, but I have to go.” Emma started to cry. “I’m sorry.” She slipped from the room that was decorated with only a rat infested mattress, a camera attached to a tripod, and a few dilapidated children’s toy’s.   
Emma continued to cry as she went about making dinner for the beast, after the last incident he’d removed all chemicals from the house, she’d been feeding him anti-freeze for weeks, but he just wouldn’t die, she remember the abuse after that, it had been just worse than the first time. Emma shivered as she stirred the sauce, she turned the pasta on low and sank into one of the wooden chairs while she waited.   
The beast stomped down the stairs wearing all black as tradition, he glared at Emma before slamming the basement door, locking it moment later, there was no way she could help them now. Fifteen minutes later came the unfiltered screams, Emma let out a long whine and covered her ears, she couldn’t move.   
“Nemma, help!” Came a voice laced with utter terror that Emma could recognize anywhere. Emma let out a scream as well, she banged the door.   
“Stop, you bastard, stop! She’s just a baby!” Emma cried, kicking the door.  
“Nem-MA!” The girl cried. “No, NO, NO!” She repeated, then there was silence. Emma cried and hit the door weakly.  
“Please stop, she’s just a baby.” Emma whispered, “you bastard.” She cried for a long while outside that door, more screams followed but they never cried her name again, this was all her fault, she could never forgive herself.   
Emma heard the beast coming up the steps, she ran to the stove where she found the sauce to have burned, the pasta had boiled over, it was inedible.   
“You stupid bitch, can’t do anything right!” He slapped her, his hands were bloodied and Emma let out a wail when she realized what the blood was from.   
“You’re the devil, no one is this evil.” Emma accused.   
He pointed a stained finger in her face, she could smell the blood. “That’s right, but when evil stare’s you in the face and you find yourself staring back, it’s already too late.”   
Emma wanted to ask what that meant, because it truly made no sense to her, but she only closed her eyes and let the tears fall.   
“Clean this up, then give them a bath.” He demanded and charged up the stairs, taking a bag of chips in place of the dinner she hadn’t made. The blonde quickly did as told then ran down the stairs to where the babies lay in a sobbing, bloody bundle.  
“I’m so sorry, I couldn’t stop him, please forgive me, please.” Emma begged the trio for forgiveness. One of the twins looked up, her eyes bleak and teary.  
“Why, Nemma?” She asked, burying herself in the larger girl. Emma shook her head, and soon the one were joined by two, and the four kids cuddled together for they were all they had to offer.   
“He hurt you, too?” Asked the boy, Sebastian, his big brown eyes burned holes in her skin as she nodded.   
“Yes, and I wish I could save you, but I can’t, I can’t.” Emma croaked, he held her hand.   
“It’s okay, Emma, at least you have us now.” He said as if it were so simple.  
“Yeah, but it shouldn’t be this way, you shouldn’t be here.” She said.  
“But that isn’t your fault, we just have to try and be happy when we can.” Sebastian said, Emma couldn’t believe how wise he was.  
“Okay,” She nodded. “Let’s get you guys cleaned up.” She said, they all stood and trekked to the bathroom.   
Sebastian washed himself before the twins’ were placed in the tub, they cried the whole time, saying their privates hurt like before, Emma bit back her tears so she wouldn’t make them uncomfortable, and washed them despite protests given. Emma found a way to distinguish the twins as she cleaned their hair. Eve had a scar on her forehead, where Ava had thrown a train at her. Ava was the one with freckles lining her nose and cheek bones.  
Emma led them to her bedroom where she let them have the bed, and took up camp on the floor with nothing but a quilt. Sometime in the night, Ava had moved down to spoon up against the older girl, Emma wrapped an arm around her protectively, and it was then that she made a promise to herself that she would save them from this Hell, or die trying. 

Present Day.

Emma wiped her eyes, she’d ended up in tears after all. “I’m sorry, I can’t anymore.” She croaked. David handed her a tissue box, she took a few and wiped her eyes.  
“It’s okay, we know enough now to put him away for good.” He took her small hands in his larger ones. “He’s never going to hurt them again, or you, or anyone else. That bastard is going to rot in prison, I will not stop until he does.”   
Emma nodded and tried to convey her appreciation through a tight squeeze to a David’s calloused hands, she knew he got the message when he stood.   
“Do you want to see them?” He asked, she nodded and they trekked to the room where the girls’ played happily with a woman, who had her back to the pair. As soon as she turned Emma was rendered speechless by the most stunning person she’d ever seen. The woman seemed equally entranced by Emma, they remained in their wake unblinking for far too long to be considered friendly. David saw the tension, and cleared his throat.   
“Miss Mills,” The woman blinked and laughed, glancing at the man then back to Emma.  
“Sorry, yes, Chief Nolan?” Miss Mills said, she had the most amazing voice. Emma stood, unable to tear her eyes away, not that she wanted to any way. The adults spoke, but Emma didn’t hear a word, just mumbling that flowed into a musical accompaniment to her one woman show.   
“Emma?” David’s voice broke her stupor.   
“Uh, shit, yeah.” He gave her a look. “My bad. Yes, David?”   
“This is Miss Mills, she specializes in cases like your’s and the girls’”   
“Nice to meet you,” She licked her lips. “Emma.”   
Emma nodded and flushed, she moved over to where the twins sat and began to help them with their puzzle, unable to hide the blush that hadn’t subsided since coming face to face with their new therapist.   
Oh god, Emma thought, therapist.

Regina followed David out to the lobby and scheduled a session with Emma for the following day, and she headed home in her Benz, unsure of what was to come, she had felt something odd when she met the blonde, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Regina growled, the girl was almost half her age, she tried to find it in her to consider this above all else, but she couldn’t.   
“Regina, she is a rape victim, you are supposed to help her, and what you’re thinking will only hinder her progress. Not to mention, it’s illegal!” She slammed her balled fists on the wheel. “Okay, you can do this, just go home and take a bath.” Regina sighed content at the though of a hot soak, some lavender bath salts, a perfect way to end her day, and clear her mind of her latest case.  
Regina stalked up the stairs, eight floors in heels wasn’t her cup of tea, and she found herself looking forwards to that bath more and more with each step. When Regina finally made it to her floor, there was someone leaning against her door. She groaned, one of her clients.   
“I don’t believe you have an appointment, Mrs. Brooks.”She chided, the redhead smiled and tilted her head to undress the brunette.   
“Since when did I need an appointment to come see you?” She asked, moving up closer to Regina, her lips ghosted over her’s, and Regina was half tempted to close the distance, but instead created more, she crossed her arms. “So that’s how it is now?” She nodded.  
“I’ve had a busy day, I just want to take a bath, we can schedule for some time, tomorrow if you wish, but tonight, I’m off call.” Regina pushed past her and pressed into the apartment.   
“Okay, I’ll call you.” Regina rolled her eyes, while she loved her job and the escape it provided, she often found herself exhausted and pressed for time.   
Quitting her original profession as a Dominatrix for hire would be a blessing and a curse, BDSM was something she was highly passionate about, it has thus far been the only means of sexual encounters that sounded even remotely appealing to her. The thought of someone ravishing her was greatly uncomfortable, but her knees would grow weak as soon as the tables were turned, so quitting wouldn’t be without it’s disadvantages.   
Her work as a children’s abuse consoler had begun to pick up when she ran into and old friend from school, Mary Margret, who they used to call Snow, and told her of her profession, the one appropriate for casual conversation that is, and wasn’t surprised to hear that her and David were still together, and he was working as chief of police, and just her luck, he was in need of a consoler. Regina had applied, but was hired on the spot, she loved her new job even as she found it hard to pick up sticks with her previous one.   
Every now and then she’d accept a client and have her fun, but it was no longer a priority of her’s to indulge in such activities. Not that she needed a client to pleasure herself, but it did help. Regina sighed as she unceremoniously threw her purse onto the black leather couch, following in suit just as sloppily. She closed her eyes as she tried to clear her mind of anything and everything, most prominently her newest patient. While a bath sounded inviting before, now that she was down, she was down for the count. Regina fell asleep right where she sat and dreamt of sweet nothings.


	4. Chapter 4

So just to make it clear, I am not a therapist. 

 

Across town, the Nolan clan was cooking dinner in a most suburban way, Emma sat on the back counter and watched as they flowed with one another in perfect sync. These people are like a movie she thought as she slid off the marble and out of the room, feeling out of place suddenly. Emma moved upstairs to the bedroom she’d been issued, she reminded herself not to get too comfortable here, because they would send her back, they had to. The teen sat on the bed and pulled out a book from the shelf that she hadn’t noticed last night, Once Upon A Time she read, and flipped open the leather bound book just as a figure appeared in the threshold. “I love that book!” Henry called and rushed in to sit next to her. Emma jumped up when he spoke, he rustled the blankets in his pursuit.

“Hey! I just made that bed.” She mocked anger, he only rolled his eyes, prying the book from her and flipping to one of the tales. “This is the one I used to read non-stop, like, my mom had to come in every night to take away my flashlight because I just wouldn’t stop.” Emma laughed at that and looked down to the story, it was of Snow White and Prince Charming the final night before the curse of the Evil Queen struck.Henry flipped through the pages to the very last one. “Their baby has your name.” He pointed out.

“That’s cool, maybe I’m royalty.” She poised herself to prove the point.

“Mom and Dad are always Snow White and Charming for Halloween, they’re obsessed, they even named their daughter Emma.” He said the last bit less enthusiastically. Emma swallowed, what had happened to her? She feared for the worst.

“Where is she now?” Henry shrugged and closed the book, placing it in her lap once more. “They won’t tell me, they never talk about it, I only know since I found her blanket.” He smiled sadly.

“They made it like the book, too.” Emma returned the smile, she’d wished for a moment that she was their Emma, and they were her family, but she couldn’t think like that. “Okay,” Emma said, she felt hot, uncomfortable. Henry perked up,

“I almost forgot to tell you!” He exclaimed. “Dinner will be ready in five, Mom said wash up.” He then ran from the room, she could hear the bathroom door shutting behind him. Emma stood and went to the washroom tied to her room, washing her hands she examined herself in the mirror. Only a day and she already looked better, the color had returned to her cheeks, her hair bounced back to it’s natural wavy-curl, and her eyes were returned the fire that she knew burned in her belly. Downstairs, the aroma of tacos, rice, beans, and fresh salsa was nearly overwhelming and Emma let her nose and empty stomach guide her to the riches.

“Hope you’re hungry.” David let out as he pulled out a chair for her to sit, she smiled and did so.

“Always! Food is my favorite activity.” She joked. Mary Margret set a large plate before each of them just as Henry charged in and skid into his seat, effectively knocking it over. The boys and Emma burst into laughter, Mary Margret, however dropped a platter and rushed to his side.

“Henry! I’ve told you time and time again, NOT to run on my tile with socks!” She pulled him up, he had a cheeky smile plastered on his face, red with exertion.

“Sorry Mom, I just wanted to do some James Bond tricks for Emma.” He admitted, Emma beamed, James clapped at hearing his name.

“Well, you can show-off outside 007, after dinner, and only if Emma wants to, okay?” Mary Margret raised her brow to him, he nodded and looked expectantly at the teen, who smiled in agreement. The five of them ate in comfortable silence, listening to a music track that Emma couldn’t name, but she liked it nonetheless. Once plates were cleared, a very stuffed Emma was shooed out of the kitchen after Henry, who wanted to show her what he could do in 007 mode. Outside, Emma was ordered by the boy to stand and hold a wooden target in front of her face.

“I don’t think this is safe,” She protested, he laughed. “Try telling that to my dad, he used to do this to me all the time.” Henry called and returned with a BB gun in tow. Before Emma could question, he shot the target five times, she flinched with each. “OH HELL NO!” She said after the first shot was fired, she braced herself for the impact, protecting her face from any possibility of damage. Henry was cracking up by the time she threw it on the ground.

“Check it out.” He urged toward the wood lying facedown on the pavement. Emma picked it up cautiously. “It’s not going to eat you, silly.” He laughed, she glared at him before glancing down at the wood, surprised when she saw five indents in and around the bullseye. Her brows raised, impressed at his accuracy and confidence.

“You gotta teach me that!” She exclaimed, looking at him, eyes wide in excitement. He beamed his baby-wide smile.

“Okay, just let me get something to put this on!” He ran back into the garage and emerged with a larger target, hammer, and nail. The boy moved over to a nearby tree and pounded the plastic sheet into the bark before returning to Emma’s side. Henry handed her the small weapon, explaining all the proper functions, how to hold is and where to aim. She nodded and held it out nervously, shooting and missing the first time.

“I suck.” She pouted and went to return the arm to Henry.

“It’s okay, I missed a bunch of times before I finally got anywhere near the target, try again.” He encouraged. Emma nodded and aimed once more, this time she felt slightly more confident and hit the far right corner of the tarp. She beamed, “yes!” The two shared a high five, Emma then went on to fire off the rest of the pellets, getting closer and closer to the bullseye each time.

“See, you’re a natural!” Henry praised, this time accepting the gun as she returned it. “You’ll be even better when it, you know, daylight.” He shrugged. Emma took that in with a contemplative expression.

“I don’t know about that, I see really well in the dark, I had to get used to it where I’m from.” She shrugged it off, no big deal. Henry’s parent’s had told him not to ask about Emma’s past, but curiosity got the best of his young mind and he let out,

“Where was that?” Emma stiffed, she bit her lip, it began to bleed once more.

“A bad place.” Henry shuffled his feet, wishing he could take back the question.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked, you can just tell me to shut up, I won’t take it personally.” Emma nodded. “It’s okay, I always say the wrong things, too.” She let out a forced laugh before gesturing towards the house.

“Let’s go inside, yeah?”

“Yeah.” He smiled, and took her hand, an apology. Emma smiled though the boy couldn’t see it, she felt they’d connected somehow. In the house, the smell of the dinner they’d shared still lingered and it was warm, a real home. Emma’d never known what a home felt like, all the places she’d lived felt cold and detached, not here, this house was a home if there ever was one.

“Hey!” David greeted. “Did he show you the thing?” Emma smiled.

“The one where he nearly takes out my eye?” The officer nodded. “Yeah, but he’s a great shot!” She said, surprised.

“Of course, he’s my son!” David ruffled the boy’s curls, to his great dismay.

“Don’t touch the due, Dad! You know how long this takes me.” He tamed his dark locks once more.

“Yeah, I know how long it takes you to wake up and brush it twice a week!” He turned to Emma. “He once had found two gummy worms nestled in there, who knows how long they were there.” He glared at his son, playfully as ever.

“Maybe my hair was hungry,” He shrugged, Emma couldn’t stop grinning. “Yeah okay, time to shower, Hungry Hair, you’ve got school tomorrow.” He pushed Henry upstairs, the boy ran all the way up before disappearing into the bathroom. David turned to Emma. “Wanna watch a movie? We have a shelf full, and the Netflix, if you can’t find anything.” She crinkled her nose.

“What’s Netflix?” She asked, he shook his head.

“Beats me, some movie application that costs way too much and never has anything good to watch.” She laughed.

“Sounds like fun.” She agreed and followed him into the movie room. Inside she stood in awe, there was a projector facing a large white sheet on the wall, cozy seating scattered about, bean bags chairs to a purple futon littered with blankets as well as pillows, and the wall not covered by a screen housed to black shelfs just stacked with DVDS. “This is awesome. It’s like your own personal theater!” Emma exclaimed.

“We had an incident once at an actual theater, let’s just say fists flew,” He laughed at the memory of Mary Margret fighting a clerk for telling her to keep her kids in check. “Mary Margret now refuses to step foot in one,” He gestured around the room. “thus, the Theatre Nolan was born.” Emma cringed.

“You don’t actually call it that, do you?” She asked, he chuckled and shook his head ’no’. “Well, I’m sure this is far more fun anyway, you can bring your own food and there’s no one to kick your seat or try to narrate the whole film.” Emma regarded.

“I couldn’t agree more, the whole experience is just overrated.” He replied, loving that Emma had such a similar view to things as he. “Pick one.” He said and pointed to the shelf. “It should be labeled by genre, so let me know when you find something and I’ll set it up.” She nodded as he left and strutted over to the shelves, she saw the ‘horror’ section and immediately ran to it. She skimmed through the labeled before one caught her eye, she pulled it out and read the summary. Deciding upon it, she left to find David with ‘Child’s Play’. She found Mary Margret first, tidying up the kitchen as she sung to James, who just babbled adorably.

“You’re a regular Snow White.” Emma said upon entrance, the woman turned and beamed at here.

“You know, that has been my goal in life since I first read that book?” She asked and threw down her rag. “Enough of that.” She wiped her brow with the back of her hand.

“Yeah, Henry told me all about you and David’s complete.. infatuation with the pair.” She used the word as it seemed that’s what it was. Mary Margret laughed.

“It’s funny, all of our friends in high school would go as a different fairytale character, David and I were Snow and Charming, Ruby was Red Riding Hood, there were other’s too, but you wouldn’t know them.” She slapped the air as if it was the subject at hand.

“What’s that?” She pointed towards the movie still clutched between Emma’s fingers.

“Oh,” She held swung it up to prove she understood. “Child’s Play, looks pretty good. Wanna watch it with me?” Mary Margret looked appalled.

“Oh, no way, I can’t watch scary movies, not even the corny one’s.” She admitted, then David swept in.

“It’s because she’s a pussy.” He confirmed, Emma mocked shock as she held back a giggle. Mary Margret’s shock was all too real.

“Excuse you?” She iterated. He wore a challenging smirk, his wife turned to Emma, her brow in the sky, but only one. “You heard that, too, I’m not going senile?” Emma nodded.

“You better say sorry.” The teen urged.

“Why would I apologize for the truth?” He asked, the kissed his wife on the forehead, she melted and smiled. “What’re we watching?” She held it up. “Nice, a classic.”

“You two are horrible, a killer doll, what a silly notion!” She shook her head. “I’m going to live in the real world and read this little guy a bit of Charles Dickens,” Emma scrunched her nose. “For babies.” Mary Margret confirmed, Emma began a slow nod of understanding with he eyes still narrowed. “So, Dr. Seuss.” They shared a laugh at that.

“The real world, starring Green Eggs & Ham!” Emma stated.

“It’s actually Cat in the Hat, thank you very much!” She stated proudly.

“Oh, much better.” Emma agreed sarcastically.

“Pft! Go watch your stupid movie and stop judging me!” Mary Margret pressed as she plucked James out of his highchair and breezed out.

“You started it!” David called after her.

“Up yours, Charming!” Came her tone from halfway up the stairs. Emma and David shared a look before he put his arm around her.

“Come on, let’s go watch this atrocity.” He said and led them to the movie room. The movie was over rather quickly as they laughed at and questioned everything that went down. “How was it?” He asked once the credit’s rolled.

“I loved it! Especially the last bit, we should watch the next one!” She said animatedly. He yawned.

“Tomorrow.” He agreed, she dampened but nodded, happy to know there;d be a tomorrow here in their home. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your room.” They exited, turning off the lights as they passed. They soon came to Emma’s door, she opened it to a dark room and turned to say goodnight.

“Goodnight, thank you for today, and everything.” She gave him a hug.

“Night, Emma, I hope you’ll be done thanking me for everything soon.” He chuckled.

“Probably not.” She let out a yawn.

“I’ll get used to it, then.”

“Okay.” She smiled tiredly. “Goodnight.” She then closed the door and went on to take a shower before dressing in a new pair of pajamas and falling asleep as soon as she hit the pillow. David made his way down the hall to his room to find his wife already asleep, curled up around a book atop the covers. He let out a content sigh and fixed her so she was comfortable and warm, then settled himself, turned off the lights, and fell asleep. He remained as such for a couple of hours, then he and Mary Margret were simultaneously jolted upright by a blood curdled scream. They didn’t bother comprehended when they bolted out of bed and to the room of their infant, only when another cry sounded, they realized it wasn’t James who had woken them.

“No!” Came another scream, they ran into Emma’s room where the girl was struggling against imaginary forces as she sobbed. “Stop!” Another scream, they would have gone deaf if it was any louder. Mary Margret was the first at her bedside, leaving a shocked David in her wake. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she brought Emma to as soft of an awakening as she could.

“Emma.” She cooed. “Wake up, baby, it’s okay.” They girl opened her eyes wide and searched for her attacker, breaking into a hard sob when she was lifted into Mary Margret’s arms. The teen choked and shuddered for a good five minutes, her mother holding her tight to show she was safe and would be for as long as she lived.

“Please don’t make me go,” She croaked.“I can’t, I can’t,” Her voice was small.

“Never.” Mary Margret whispered into her ear, and kissed her temple. “I’ll never let you go again.” David shuddered as she slipped up, but Emma hadn’t noticed, she only let herself be rocked to sleep in his wife’s loving arms. “Never.” She repeated before tucking the limp girl into bed once more.

 

The next day, everyone was up bright and early for school, even Emma, who would be accompanying David to work. He’d told her that morning that she was to have a session with the counselor that had consulted the girls’ the day before, Emma internally rolled her eyes, she didn’t need therapy, not even if it was with the extremely enamoring Miss Mills. The blonde teen sat lounged around the station for most of the day, she played darts with Downs, beating him with flying colors each time.

“Beginner’s luck,” He’d confirmed after she’d showed him up a third time when he’d uttered the same thing once, then twice.

“What was that?” She held a hand to her ear as if to amplify his words. “Is that a sore loser I hear?” He shooed her away as she laughed.

“Whatever, kid, Chief wants you.” He pointed towards David who beckoned her over.

“Hey, Miss Mills is waiting for you, you ready?” He asked. She looked sour.

“For therapy? No, but I guess I probably need it. I had the worst dream last night.” She admitted as he led her to the room. He decided against telling her about last night and her desperation as he opened the door to Miss Mills’ office.

“Good afternoon, Regina!” He greeted, she looked up and smiled wide. The room was dark gray but with bright colored and abstract drawing all around, clearly that of children.

“Hello, David, Emma.” She nodded towards the girl, who blushed profusely. “Won’t you come in?” They did and closed the heavy door behind them. David began to debrief the woman of Emma’s condition as the girl herself looked about the room and anything other than Regina Mills. The doctor would look over at Emma occasionally as he spoke only to find her eye’s awkwardly averted to whether it be a wall or the floor.

“Well I’ll leave you to it? You’ll be okay?” He landed a hand on Emma’s shoulder, she nodded and looked down to her hands which were restless in her lap. “So, what do you like to do?” She asked, Emma shrugged. “I’m sorry if this is weird, I usually work with much younger generations, so excuse me if I treat you.. unaccording to your age.” Regina said, God what was she saying, she knew she was making a complete fool of herself.

“What’s this?” Emma asked, motioning towards a box on the desk. Regina reached for it and flipped it open.

“My stash.” She winked, it was full of all different colored lollipops. “Want one?” She asked, taking a grape one for herself. Emma pressed her lips together before reaching out and taking an orange.

“Thank you.” She said as they both rid of the wrappings and popped the candy between pearly teeth.

“Mhm,” Regina hummed. “Do you like music?” Emma made a ‘sort of’ type move. “I love it, Van Halen, Sinatra, you know, the classics. Recently though, I’ve found myself to be enjoying Punk Rock more and more. The Adicts, Bad Religion, Flogging Molly, that kind of stuff. I could name more, but they are all on my Ipod, which I left at home.” She flickered through the music library she had on her work computer. “Ah, this, this I think you’ll quite enjoy, some say it’s underground, but I would beg to differ.” Regina turned on Here Be Dragons by Violent Soho and the tunes travelled through to the speakers surrounding the room.

“I like it.” Emma agreed once the music faded. Regina grinned before playing her next choice.

“The Pixies, Wave of Mutilation, it’s my favorite by them.” She frowned. “Well that’s a lie, they have many songs I enjoy quite a bit, but we’ll leave it at that, I could just go for days.” Emma nodded.

“I like your voice.” She peeped.

“Why?” Regina asked, Emma looked at her irritated. “Well we have to talk about something?” Regina played up her hands.

“Right, well, it’s calming and beautiful, I’ve never heard someone with a voice quite like yours.” Emma let out.

“I would hope not, or I’d have to say we’ve met before, and I would certainly remember that.”

“Why?” Emma retorted. Regina smirked.

“Why not?” The teen rolled her eyes.

“This isn’t what I was expecting.” She blurted. “And since I know you’re going to ask; I was expecting you to ask me all about what’s happened and what’s wrong with me, but you’re not, you haven’t even asked anything like that. Why?”

“Well, we’ve only just met and hounding you with questions on your abuse would be counter productive, as I want you to want to share with me and allow me to help you, not fell forced. What I’m trying to say is that I want to establish a foundation, with trust and mutual understanding. Sound good?” Emma smiled so wide she thought her cheeks would rip.

“I’m sorry, you make me nervous.” She admitted, her glances returned to the floor. Regina gave another signature smirk, but wiped it away as she knew he real affect on the girl.

“Why?” She asked.

“I don’t feel comfortable answering that.” Emma swallowed.

“Okay, another time.” Regina nodded and took a note.

“Can I ask you questions?” Emma asked after a few moment’s silence. Slowly, Regina nodded with furrowed brows. “Okay,” Emma thought it over. “If you could describe yourself as a fruit, what fruit would you be?” The woman laughed at that and Emma felt her breath catch.

“An apple, of course. They are strong and crisp, refreshing as well as sweet.”

“That’s a good answer.” Emma smiled.

“What would you be?” She retorted. “Wait, let me guess, hmm, grapefruit?” Emma grinned.

“Close, orange.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, I feel like an orange.” Emma said swiftly.

“Hmm, any particular reason?” The girl shook her head, the held up a finger.

“Nothing rhymes with orange, and it’s like outcast from other words.”

“And you can relate because you feel outcast from the world?” She asked, therapist mode activated.

“Well, I mean, yeah, I was cut off for so long and living in this, this torture chamber for lack of a better term, so yeah I feel outcast. I know people have it worse, but all I know is my suffering and my pain, and I haven’t met anyone more fucked up than I am so far, so..” She trailed off.

“That’s an interesting observation, very wise.” Emma shook her head. “What?” She looked up and Regina could tell she held back tears.

“Ever since I joined reality, you know, I’ve been told that I’m ‘noble’ or ‘wise’ but that’s not how I see it”

“How do you see it?” Regina questioned, no trace of judgement could be seen in her features.

“I think I’m weak, and disgusting. I feel like my life is already over, when I know it’s just begun. I think ‘holy shit’ I have all these years to live, and I already feel like I’ve lived enough. So much pain, it’s just, I can’t sometimes, and it’s hopeless, so dark.” She let a tear fall, not daring to face Regina.

“What do you want to do in these times?” “I-” She began.

“I want to kill myself, and end it all before I can suffer more, or make others miserable. Then I get scared because I’m so afraid of death, and pain, and I just wish I could control it all, but I know I can’t, and that scares me more than anything, the not knowing.”

“Uncertainty.” Regina moved off of her words.

“Yeah, I just hope that when I die it’s quick, no suffering and just darkness.”

“Emma.” The girl looked up. “Are you afraid of living?”

“Yes,” She whispered. “But no.”

“Which one is it?” Regina continued.

“Both.” She confided.

“Why aren’t you afraid?” Emma took a deep breath, she wiped her eyes.

“Because life is so beautiful, and I never got to see that side of it, not too much anyway, and I want to. I want to see the good and I do, but sometimes all the horrors blanket me and I feel lost, untouched by good.”

“Why are you afraid?”

“So many reasons, there are so many horrible things that could happen at this very moment and we would never know, not until it was too late and there was no stopping it and no way out.” Emma put her sucker back into her mouth, looking younger than she was.

“Of course, and that scares you, giving up control?” Emma nodded slowly, surely.

“I’ve never been in control of myself, and I’ve always been scared, except for when I escaped and I was free, running down that road, even busting my lip open felt better than living in the system. “ She touched the wound. Regina let her eyes wander and her mind, wondering what it would be like to taste those lips, feel them move beneath her own. Pulling herself from that, she crossed her legs to deny the heat that had been growing. “You don’t like being out of control, either, do you?” Emma asked.

“No,” Regina confided in a whisper. “It is my biggest fear, it’s almost irrational.”

“Do you know why?”

“Yes.” She said, why was she saying this, opening up to this girl when she was the one who was supposed to be asking the ‘why’s’?

“Tell me.” Emma pressed lightly, leaning forward.

“I-” Regina began as the timer alerted that their time was up, the woman looked to the device and back to Emma, her eyes wide and confused. Emma gave her a weak smile and stood.

“Next time.” She said and moved towards the door, turning once in the threshold, she smiled, and, was that another blush? Regina pulled herself together, she cleared her throat.

“Next time.” She repeated. Before looking up in shock at her sudden realization. “Oh, no, no, no, you do not. Bad for business, bad for business.” She said, thinking of her growing attraction towards the girl, she denied herself the luxury of saying it aloud in fear that saying it would make it real, and she couldn’t have that.

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

Emma fell back onto the couch, after her session with Regina, she’d been unable to rid her thoughts of the woman, she intrigued Emma like no other, and she couldn’t wait to get to know her further. Emma’s gut wrenched, gross, feelings, it seemed to say, she couldn’t agree more, but also could care less as she would willingly sap herself out if it meant a chance with her therapist.

  
“Oh, God.” She mumbled when the word crossed her train of thought, she was the personification of a school-girl crush. Emma had always been attracted the the same-sex, she’d been far more bold in her early years, with no shame she’d kiss her friends right on the mouth, always under the slide so no one would see. Of course, no one took it as actual attraction, just little girl’s doing what they all do at some point or another.

  
Emma missed those days, she hadn’t a care in the world in kindergarden, that’s when she still lived with her first foster family, the Swan’s, it’s where she had been given her surname. For five year’s she lived in their care, they loved her as much as any child of their own, until the time came that they’d actually been blessed with a child of their own, and she was tossed away like nothing. It had hurt, and she will never forget that day.

Ten years earlier.

Emma ran with little grace as fast as she could over to where her mother awaited. “Mommy!” She jumped into the woman, called Ingrid’s, arms.

  
“Hello, Princess, how was your day?” She said, her tone loving.

  
“I made this for you!” Emma exclaimed, squirming out of her grip

to pull a folded piece of craft paper from her Scooby-Doo knapsack. Emma extended the paper to Ingrid who graciously unfolded it to reveal a picture of her, and more than a bit of glitter. “See,” Emma pointed, “you’re the Ice Queen, just like you wanted.” The girl beamed.

  
Ingrid gave her a warm smile, full of love, as she had so much for the young girl. “I love it, Emma.” She crouched down to the girl’s height and pulled her into a squeeze. “Let’s go home.” She said and they went hand-in-hand to where the gray mini-van awaited.

  
Emma babbled happily to the It’s a Small World soundtrack as they made their way home to the quaint Victorian style house, it had blue trimming and feather like shutter’s. Emma undid her carseat, a trick she’d learned long before, and booked it to the front door, which she haphazardly rammed into upon arrival. The girl chortled at the hilariousness of bouncing off the door and onto her bottom.

  
“Silly Bee,” Ingrid pulled her up and they went into the bright house. “Hungry?” She asked, Emma nodded viciously. “Did someone give you sugar?” She asked in mock accusation.

  
Emma’s face turned down in a guilt as she shook it, slowly this time.

  
“Now, what did I tell you about lying?” Ingrid put her hands on her hips and tutted at her insolence.

  
“Never to lie, because it hurts more than the truth.” Emma repeated the words, something she’d heard time and time again.

  
“That’s right.” Ingrid brushed her hair back. “Was it candy?” She asked.

  
Emma gave a small smile. “Yes! A sucker, it was grape flavored.” She said with excitement.

  
“Ooh, yummy! I bet that was a nice treat,” Emma nodded. “What would you like for snack?” Ingrid opened the fridge to find it barren aside from milk, celery, and a few leftover’s covered by foil. The woman sighed and pulled the celery out, swiping the peanut butter from the pantry before spreading it across a few stocks and placing it before Emma, who clapped and began munching. Ingrid pulled out the chair across from the toddler and fell into it, she’d been feeling faint for the past few days and constantly yearned to fall into bed and never emerge.

  
With her head in her hands she listened to Emma crunch on her food, she could smell the peanut butter and it almost made her want to vomit. “Mommy? I done.” She heard and swallow the rising bile.

  
“Are you full now?” Ingrid said after a sharp inhale. Emma nodded and shoved the plate towards her with one stick still left. “You’re not done.” She scolded mildly and pushed it back towards Emma.

  
“I save you one, even Mommy’s need snacks.” She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Ingrid grinned at the kindness and grabbed the stick, snapping off a bite. Ingrid then picked up the plate and went to place it in the sick just as her stomach felt just about to burst, she anchored onto the wooden counter top and hissed.

  
“You okay?” A man’s voice asked, soon her husband, Ryder, was holding her up as she winced once more.

  
“Fine, just a cramp.” She said and shook him away, not liking the warmth that came with his touch.

  
“O-kay.” He whistled and ran a hand through his wavy charcoal locks, he turned to Emma. “Hey, kiddo, how was school?” He asked, and she went on to tell him all about her day while he hung on to her every word with a loving grin. “Homework?” He asked when she finished.

  
“I have to draw farm animals.” She pouted, “I can only draw cow’s, cow’s go moo!” She explained, he laughed.

  
“They do! Well, I’m sure that it won’t be too hard, most farm animals look the same.” He provided.

  
“Nu-uh, sheep look like clouds, cow’s don’t look like clouds at all! Did you know that every horsey has a unicorn twin!”

  
“I did not, that’s pretty cool, I wish I had a twin unicorn.” He replied.

  
“You silly, you’re not a horsey!” She giggled, and he stood with a groan.

  
“Maybe I am, and you just don’t know it.” She pouted, Ryder raised his brow and she giggled again. “I’m off to work.” He let out and went to kiss both his girl’s, Emma on the forehead, and Ingrid on the cheek.

  
“I’ll see you tonight.” She breathed, the dishes were even exhausting her.

  
“You’ll be up?” He sounded surprised.

  
“Yeah, it’s only till 11, right?”

  
“No, I took on another shift, I work all the way to dawn.” He pressed.

  
“Oh,” She said sadly. “Then I’ll see you in the morning.” They shared one last kiss and he was gone.

After Emma had been put to bed, Ingrid sat on the edge of her own and contemplated what to do, she was late, for the first time in years, since she was told to be infertile.  
“No, you’re not pregnant, that’s impossible.” She muttered and strode into the bathroom. Opening the medicine cabinet’s she found the test stick’s one of her foster girl’s had left when she aged out last month, she’d only just then found out she was pregnant. Ingrid took a shaky breath and extracted one.

  
She did what she had to and sat on the porcelain seat, her angst growing steadily for the three minutes she’d have to wait. When it finally passed she saw what she’d feared, but secretly hoped for, a blue cross decorated the stick. Tear’s came unnoticed as she put her hand over her mouth to sob out loud without waking Emma.  
The realization struck her, and she only cried harder. Emma, her sweet girl, she couldn’t give her up, she was going to adopt her once the application she’d sent went through. The woman stood, faltering a bit before disregarding the test, flushing, then washing her hands before settling into bed. She wept until she blurred into sleep.  
The moment he’d stepped into the room, she was awake. He smiled at her, she didn’t return it.

  
“How’d you sleep?” Ryder asked, pulling off his boots.

  
“Ryder.” She said bluntly. “I’m pregnant.” She bit her lip, hoping for a positive reaction.

  
“What?” He said, shocked. “Baby, that’s great! The doctors we’re wrong after all, dicks.” He shook his.

  
“I know, but what, what about Emma? We can’t raise two kid’s, we’re barely scraping by as it is.” He looked down to the ground and thought hard.

  
“Well, I could get another job, we could make it work.” He tried.

  
“You’ll work yourself to death.” She whispered. “What do we do?” She looked to her love with bleary eyes, his matched her in that moment. Ryder pulled his wife into him, he smelled of old newspapers, she inhaled the familiar scent and it brought her warmth.

  
“We’ll figure it out.” He reassured, and hoped for the best but he knew what was coming would be anything but.

 

Nine months later.

Ingrid was huge, she was due to pop any day now, and couldn’t be happier, she was having a boy, she had already named him Riley, her husband insisted an ‘R’ name. Today was the day that Emma’s social worker, a young woman named Susan, new to the job, she would take on Emma’s case now that the previous one had since retired.  
Ingrid had waited until today to break the news to her daughter, she just didn’t have the heart until now, when she had no choice.

  
“Emma, baby, come here please.” Rider had gone to work, she was on her own. Emma padded into the room in her princess nightgown.

  
“Yes, Mommy?” She asked, her voice laced with sleep. Ingrid fought back the tears, but she knew she wouldn’t hold.

  
“Come here.” She patted the couch, Emma jumped up and allowed the older blonde to pull her onto her lap. Ingrid played with her hair a while before speaking. “You know Mommy and Daddy love you so so much, yeah?” Emma nodded, she sniveled and went on, “But you know that sometimes bad things happen, and you have to say goodbye to the one’s you love?”

  
“Like my real Mommy and Daddy?” Emma asked.

  
“Yeah, like that.” Ingrid said bitterly. “Well, since we love you so much, we have to say goodbye.” She let out, her voice shook with unshed tears.

  
“Why, you said you’d never let me go?” Emma began to sob. “You said you loved me and you’ll never let me go!”

  
“I know, but I don’t have a choice, Princess, and I love you so much, more than you know.” She pleaded.

  
“No, you liar! You’re just like them!” Emma accused, she pushed herself off the woman.

  
“No, Emma, no.” Ingrid began, not knowing what to say, she was exactly like them, letting her baby girl go. “I’m sorry.” She decided on.

  
“No you’re not!” Emma screamed.

  
“I am, believe me, Emma, I am, but you’ll find a new family, a better one.” She tried.  
“I don’t want a new family! I want you!” The doorbell rang, Emma ran away as Ingrid went to answer it.

  
“Hi!” Said the cheery voice of a very short young redhead. “I’m Susan, Emma’s caseworker, nice to meet you.” She held out her hand, Ingrid shook it weakly, feeling lost. “Are you okay?” The girl asked, her face falling in concern.

  
“She’s,” Ingrid moved to let the woman in. “Upset, I just told her and she doesn’t quite understand.”

  
Susan nodded. “Leaving is harder on young children, and she’s never known anyone but you, so I can imagine, where is she?”

  
“Upstairs I believe.” Ingrid led the woman to Emma’s room, it was locked. “Emma, baby, please open up.” Ingrid called.

  
“No! You can’t give me up, we’re family!” Ingrid shook her head, this girl she’d raised suddenly felt like a stranger, and she had no idea how to console her.

  
“Let me,” Susan whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Emma, my name is Susan, I’m here to take you somewhere really cool, would you like that?”

  
“No! I want to stay home!” Emma threw something at the door.

  
“Not even if we went to the park? Or maybe the arcade?” Susan knew bribery wasn’t a good technique in the long run, but she was new and had nothing better to offer a distraught child. “Ice cream?”

  
“With sprinkles?” Emma asked, quietly now.

  
“Anything you want.” Susan said. “But you have to let me in.”

  
“Just you.” Emma deadpanned.

  
“Only me.” Susan agreed and the door was pulled open to reveal a small blonde, who pulled her in and glared at Ingrid. After Emma slammed the door on her, she fell back against the wall and wept profusely for the thirty minutes it took Susan to pack all Emma’s things.

  
The pair emerged, Emma had a death grip on the suitcase and teddy bear she loved so much, but she didn’t once look to Ingrid.

  
“We’re ready.” Susan let out and followed Ingrid to the door, where she then turned to face the woman.

  
“Emma, can you say goodbye to Mommy?” She asked, Ingrid looked hopeful but Emma never looked up.

  
“She’s not my mommy.” She iterated. “Take me to the park, please.”

  
Susan looked at her sorrowfully. “Okay, let’s go.” She turned to Ingrid. “Goodbye.” Then they left, never to see one another again, but they never would forget the time spent as a family, until it was all ripped to shred, and Emma’s heart broke for the first time.

Present Day.

David, along with Henry burst through the door with armful’s of groceries, Emma jumped as the door hit the wall, she was pulled from her daydream.

  
“Hey!” Henry greeted just as a bag ripped, spilling out it’s contents of juice, Pop-Tarts, and a box of butter. “Oops,” He said as Emma stood to pick it up. “Thanks!”

  
“No problem, you should probably take that to the kitchen before you break something.” She suggested, he did so, they all followed. “That all?” Emma asked.  
“Yeah, we have the thing about taking two trips, the thing being never to take two trips.” David answered, the three of them began putting the goods away, Emma having to ask every so often where something would go. The whole deal took about ten minutes before Henry started to make a snack.

  
“Want one?” He gestured to a Hot Pocket, ham and cheese.

  
“Nah, I ate.” Emma replied, he shrugged before popping it into the microwave. “How was school?” She asked,

  
“Boring, we’re working on fractions and long division.” He make a retching sound as he went on. “What about you, what did you do today?”

  
“First of all, gross, I hate math. And I didn’t do much, went to work with your dad then came back here and hung out.”

  
“Sounds way better than school.” Henry said as the microwave beeped finalization.

  
“Eh, you’d be surprised how much you appreciate school when it’s not an option.” Emma breathed.

  
“Doubt it, but we’ll agree to disagree.” He said, she laughed.

  
“So you want to do school?” David asked, she’d forgotten he was even there. “Because the high-school down the street is really nice, we can sign you up next week.”

  
Emma looked unsure. “I do but I mean, you know,” She said and looked to Henry. David got the message.

  
“Hey, find us something to watch, will you?” He asked his son, who ran out of the room hissing as he bit into the bread to soon. “What’s up?”

  
“I mean, how long did you plan on letting me stay, because I’d rather not start school just to turn around and move across town.” Emma confided.

  
David sighed heavily. “Look, Mary Margret wanted to wait and have this talk with you, but I’d rather tell you, because she’s,” He thought about it. “Emotional.”

  
Emma laughed with him. “So what?” She asked, wondering.

  
“We plan on adopting you, you already fit in so well, we all love having you, so why not make it official?” He couldn’t read her face, but it was somewhere between crying and bolting.

  
“Uh, I don’t know what to say.” She sighed.

  
“You don’t have to say anything, I don’t want to overwhelm you, I just want you to know that we see you as part of our family, and hope you’ll grow to see us the same.”  
“I-” She began just as the door slammed shut, they both turned their attention to the new arrival.

  
“Hey!” Mary Margret said, breezing into the kitchen, she squeezed Emma’s shoulder as she passed to plant a kiss on David’s cheek. She sensed a bit of tension and turned to them both. “What’s up?”

  
“Uh, nothing, just talking about school.” Emma breathed.

  
“Oh! Are you going to enroll, David’s sister is the principle, she could help you into all the right classes!” Mary Margret beamed.

  
“Yeah, thinking about it.” She said, looking to David with knowing eyes, they agreed to not speak of the previous conversation until much later.

  
“Great! I can give her a call, set up a meeting, it’ll be great!” She was so excited, Emma couldn’t disagree. “So, dinner, I’m thinking tuna casserole.” She let out.

  
“Yum!” David said. “Emma?”

  
“Yeah, love it, um can I ask you something?”

  
“Anything.” They said in unison.

  
“Do you think I could use your phone? And phone book?” Emma asked.

  
“Of course, who’d you want to call?” Snow asked.

  
“Uh, my therapist.” Emma laughed.

  
“Oh, I could give you her number, just use my cell, she’ll have no choice but to answer then.” He laughed and pulled out his IPhone, handing it to the teen. “Just look up her name and press call.” He explained.

  
“Okay, can I take this upstairs?”

  
“Of course.” He said and went about setting the table.

  
Emma searched for Regina’s contact as she made her way steadily up the stairs. One in her room she waited to press call until she was out on the roof, a trick she’d discovered the night before when trying to get a look at the city. Outside, it was cool, the sun was out of sight, though it was still bright. The high rises could be seen with trails of pink, orange, and purple settling behind it in the fog. She pressed call as she inhaled the fresh air, smelling of mowed grass.

  
It rang three times. “Chief Nolan, how can I help you?” Regina’s voice flooded through the line. Emma’s breath hitched, she didn’t know what to say. “Hello?”  
“Uh, it’s Emma.” She said shyly.

  
“Emma,” She could hear the smile in her tone. “How are you?”

  
“I’m okay, I just wanted to talk to you.” She said.

  
“Oh, about what?” The girl didn’t know it, but Regina could not stop smiling.

  
“I don’t know, I never got that far,” She confided as she watched a bird fly over head. “I just saw a bird.” She smiled.

  
“What kind?” Regina asked.

  
“Uh, crow, or maybe a sparrow. I don’t really have extensive bird knowledge.”

  
Regina laughed. “I like raven’s, did you know that you can have them as pets?”

  
“No, that’s cool though, I think I’d want a crow to be my cronie, because, I don’t know, word play.”

  
“That’s far more clever, but raven’s are larger, much more badass.” Regina agreed.

  
“Well, I wouldn’t know, there’s my lack of birdology coming in.”

  
“Birdology, huh? Ornithology, dear.” She chuckled.

  
“You think you’re winning, but you only helped prove my point even further.” Emma chided.

  
“You’re quite welcome, then, if that’s the case.”

  
“Okay,” Emma said, her cheeks ached, why couldn’t she stop smiling? Regina fucking Mills, that’s why!

  
“I charge extra for over the phone, sessions.” Regina joked.

  
“Oh, and how about sessions taking place outside of the office?” Emma asked. What wait? No! She scolded.

  
“Depend’s on the place, and the company.” Regina began, Emma didn’t know it, but she was about to burst in anticipation.

  
“What if I asked you to meet me at bookstore downtown?”

  
“Are you?” Regina countered.

  
“Am I?” Emma threw it right back.

  
“Yes.” Regina laughed.

  
“To what?” Emma said, deadly serious.

  
“What do you think?” Regina said, equally serious.

  
“It’s called Signature Strauss Classic’s.” Emma informed.

  
“And?” Regina went on.

  
“And it’s on 3rd street.” Emma breathed. “And I’d like you to meet me there at 4:30.”

  
Regina felt as if her face was going to split in half. “We’ll see Miss Swan.”

  
“Wait, I kind of need to know if you’re going to be there, since I have to take the bus, and would rather not unless you’ll be there.” Emma laughed.

  
“I’ll be there.” Regina said.

  
“Excellent. See you then, Miss Mills.” Emma said with all the sass she had in her body.  
“I look forward to it, Miss Swan.” Regina purred and hung up the phone. Her grin didn’t falter as she made her way back to the blood red room she used for play. Miss Brooks hung from ropes that attached each of her arms, her legs spread apart where they hardly touched the ground. Regina gave no warning as she slithered up behind the woman and ran a sharp, manicured nail down her spine, into her slip. The girl shuddered.

  
“Please.” She mumbled, she was blindfolded, Regina preferred it that way.

  
“No talking!” She scratched her back, hard, small red drops began to bead the surface, the girl held a cry in her throat. “You may apologize.” Regina said.

  
“I’m sorry.” She hissed.

  
Regina hummed and went to her shelf, where all of her items were. “Not good enough, dear, I’m afraid I have to punish you.” She grabbed a pair of shock therapy clamps that she knew Jade loved, Miss Brooks rather. Attaching them to each of her pert nipples. she raked her nails down ample cleavage, more blood was drawn.

  
“You’ve been dirty, I can smell it.” Regina scolded, she loved humiliation. “I told you, I always tell you,” She tutted. “But you go and open your legs for the common wealth, hmm?” She amped up the controls to the first level. “You deserve this.” She pressed the button, one second, the girl tensed. “Fucking slut.” Two seconds, she moaned. “Tell me what you are.”

  
“I, I’m a dirty slut.” Three seconds, she tensed, Regina ripped off the blindfold.

  
“Tell me again.” She ordered.

  
“I’m a dirty slut.” Five seconds, this time a tear streaked down her face.

  
“That’s right.” Regina chuckled. “Some things never change, but we’re going to do something about that, yes?” The girl didn’t answer, she squeezed her eyes shut. “I asked you a question!” Regina amped up the device, and let it run for three seconds. Jade cried out in ecstasy and pain, Regina knew she couldn’t hold. "Look at me." Regina wore a smirk, she held the button up and just as she was about to press it.

  
"Kentucky, Kentucky!" Jade cried, she winced.

  
"Pussy." Regina scolded mildly.

  
"I have to go to work." Jade pressed as Regina began to untie her.

  
"Are you ever going to quit that dreadful place, how degrading." The brunette chided mildly, Jade had been stripping since she was 18, just as long as she'd been coming to Regina. That was nearly six years ago she first met the fiery girl.

  
"You're one to talk about degrading." Jade chuckled, pulling on a red v-neck.

  
Regina looked shocked. "What I do is art, it's beautiful." Regina told her.

  
Jade shook her head. "I know, or I wouldn't be here." Jade winked. "But I'm going to quit, I just wouldn't know what to do, this is all I know, Regina."

  
"I know, but I can help you, find substantial work, if you want."

  
"I don't really, it's good money and I like all the girls. Once you learn to cut it all off, it's not too.. degrading."

  
Regina scoffed. "It's no fun calling you a dirty slut in character if you are one in real life." She breathed, her eyes widening at the words. "No, Jade, I didn't-"

  
The girl looked hurt. "Save it. That's a real low blow, Regina, even for you." She shook her head, red curls flew. "You have no right, at all, to any of this!"

  
"I know, I take it back, I just don't want you to go down the wrong path, I.. care about you, I like to think of you as a close friend. You have so much potential, I've seen you're art, I can get you a job at the station, a profiles artist!” Regina tried.

  
"A cop? No thanks, but I get it, okay?" Jade held the knob to the front door. "I'll figure it out, don't worry about me." She smiled. "We'll talk soon, take care of yourself." And she was gone. Regina stood in the foyer, in a tank and loose sweats, her abdomen peaking out between the two articles. Normally she'd dress up for clients, put on a show, but Jade could care less, and asked she just be herself. So she did, no make up, ugly clothes, the whole ode to natural.

  
With a sigh, she made way back to her play room and cleaned up the remainder, standing and relishing in it for a while, then a certain blonde popped into her mind, and she couldn't help but picture her, all sucked up in her vacuum cube.  
"No, bad. For. Business." She scolded, leaving the room and slamming the door shut.

 


	6. Chapter 6

  
Regina woke to the immensely annoying ringing of her cell phone, she groaned as she moved to pick it up, an unknown number, calling her at.. 3 am?

  
“Regina Mills, this better be important.” She snapped into the line.

  
“Uh, sorry, should I call back?” A sweet voice filled the line.

  
“Who is this?” She asked, intrigued.

  
“My name, no, I-I’m calling for the Evil Queen.” She chuckled. Regina rolled her eyes, another client.

  
“I’m sure your call could have waited until morning, but now that I’m up..” Regina trailed off, the girl took it as cue to continue.

  
“I’m so sorry, I really didn’t know it was that late, or I wouldn’t have called, I was, well that doesn’t really matter, but it was just..” She cleared her throat, “an impulsive decision, I can go, really, I’m sorry.”

  
“No, there’s no room for apologies, I’m already awake, what is this regarding?” She asked, sitting up, flicking on the light as she passed.

  
“I’d like to make arrangements to perform a scene with you.” She said confidently.

  
“Is that right?” Regina questioned, she could tell the girl was young, but she knew her way around a conversation.

  
“Yes, would that be do-able?” She asked.

  
“Well first we would have to meet, it’s important that we have a mutual trust and understanding before we even step foot in my.. lair.” She called it.

  
“Oh, alright, let’s do that then.” The girl chirped.

  
“Okay, what is your schedule like?” Regina asked, moving to grab her day planner.

  
“Pretty hectic, how about you set a date and time, I’ll make it work?” The girl bargained.

  
“I quite like you already!” Regina said, loving how agreeable she was.

  
“Why thank you, Your Majesty.” She iterated, Regina chuckled.

  
“Yes, dear, I believe we will get on quite well. I’m free tomorrow until 3, so say, 12:30? Unless that’s too early, then another day perhaps.” Regina offered.

  
“No, that’s perfect, I never get much sleep, I guess that’s what caffeine is for!” She laughed, Regina as well.

  
“Yes, I couldn’t agree more. Shall I text you my address, I think you’d be more comfortable meeting where our scene would take place, I’m sure you agree, get a feel of the surroundings.” Regina went on.

  
“Sounds great, I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” The girl said.

  
“I look forward to it.” Regina said and then they both hung up. Regina glared at her phone, the girl sounded genuine, but she still liked her sleep and was ready to get back to it. After writing down her name and the time she’d arrive, the light was flipped off and Regina fell back into play of sleep as easily as she’d been taken from it.

  
  
Emma awoke the next morning in a daze, her stomach ached for a taste of food, as she’d skipped dinner in light of an early night. Making her way to the en suite, she brushed her hair and teeth to make herself presentable. Downstairs, she found to be void of any members of the family, which was a blessing and a curse. The curse being that she now had to scrounge up something to eat herself, which would surely end up in a mess she was already dreading cleaning up.

  
“Hey!” Henry greeted.

  
Emma jumped about two feet in the air as she turned to greet his smirking little face. “Jesus, you scared the hell out of me!” She accused, gripping her chest as it heaved. “We need to get you a bell.”

  
“I’m not a cow, and a simple ‘good morning’ would have sufficed.” He rolled his eyes and moved to the fridge, pulling out orange juice.

  
“Good morning,” She countered. “Why are you up so early?” She asked.

  
“School, duh, some of us still have to go to that.” He said as if it were blatantly clear.

  
“Oh, right, sucks for you.” She stuck out her tongue as he glared, and grabbed them two glasses from the panty.

  
“Whatever, you’ll be joining me soon enough, I heard my parents talking about it last night.” He retorted, pouring them each a glass, only spilling a few drops.

  
Emma groaned, “I don’t want to do school, it’s so lame.”

  
“Being a kid is lame, you’re pretty much prisoners, school is the cell, home is recreation, and whatever fun you have is barely that.”

  
“That’s beautiful, Henry, you should quote it.” Emma chuckled, sipping her juice.

  
“I try, that one was weak though, you should hear my argument’s with Mom, she never wins so she just gets all red and tells me to go to my room. Super funny if you ask me.”

  
Emma nodded. “Yeah, your mom doesn’t seem to argumentative, so I definitely see it.”  
“Well, I’m going to be late,” He grabbed a Pop Tart from the pantry. “Walk me to the bus?” He asked.

  
“Sure.” Emma shrugged, once in the mudroom she slipped into a pair of house slippers. Outside, the morning was cold and she had wished she’d grabbed a coat to throw over her cotton shorts and loose fitting tee.

  
“Cold?” He asked her.

  
“Yeah, I was not expecting this, it was blazing yesterday.” Emma’s teeth chittered.

  
“That’s Philly!” He said. “Just wait until winter, you’ll never want to leave bed.” He said, she could tell he was serious. The sun was just beginning to rise as the fell into step down the sidewalk, street lights still glowed, though they didn’t provide much light.

  
“I already don’t want to do that.” She grumbled. Emma looked up as she crossed her arms to provide warmth, she saw a crowd of kids, most around the same age as Henry, all wearing the same navy blue and red type uniform.

  
“That’s my stop.” He said, turning to her, he pulled her into a hug. “See you later, Emma.” He called and ran off to meet his friends, who called him over with excited waves. Emma grinned at the moment they’d shared before turning back to the house, she ran back into the warmth.   
When she closed the door behind her, she could hear someone in the kitchen, and smell the familiar aroma of coffee.

  
“Morning.” She said, Mary Margret jumped, Emma laughed aloud as she had a similar reaction just minutes ago with Henry. “Sorry.”

  
“It’s okay, didn’t expect you to be up yet.” Mary Margret turned to finish off her brew. “Good morning, by the way.” She said, pouring it into a to-go mug before adding cream and sugar. two of each.  “Henry gone?” She asked.

  
“Yeah, I walked him to his stop.” She informed, sitting up on the counter.

  
“I told him to let me take him, that boy has no patience.” She scolded into her cup.

  
“I think he just likes to be independent.” Emma shrugged.

  
Mary Margret looked at her sadly. “I know, I wish he would just let me be his mom for another couple of years, or forever, that would work, too.”

  
Emma laughed. “He told me that you never win arguments with him, that true?”

  
Mary Margret groaned audibly. “Don’t even get me started, I have no idea where he gets that, but he always has to have the last word. I absolutely hate it, he’s lucky I send him to his room or I might just..” She made a strangling motion with her hands, Emma chuckled.

  
“That’s great, but it’s hard to imagine any conflict between you all, everything seems so perfect. You’re like the Stepford.. Family.”

  
Mary Margret let out a disbelieving laugh and shook her head. “No.. Quite the opposite, everyone has been on their best behavior recently because of you, give it a week, someone will blow up.” Emma laughed, but still couldn’t believe it. “Well, I gotta go.” Snow said.

  
“Okay, should I open the door for you?” Emma said, taking one look at her armful of supplies and feeling it right to offer.

  
“Yes, please, and the car too if you don’t mind?” Snow asked, heaving up all the books, and crafts that she could possibly need to teach a second grade class.

  
“Of course.” Emma opened both doors, lingering by the one to the station wagon as the teacher slid in next to her things. Emma shut it hard, waving goodbye as Snow blew her a kiss before backing out of the garage, speeding down the road.

  
Emma headed back inside to eat, finally, she prepared an egg sandwich for herself, as David had already left, and James, while he couldn’t eat one anyway, was at day care next door. Emma went to the small living room aside the kitchen, placing her food on the coffee table before falling in next to the pile of records that lay beneath the player.

  
Emma found one that looked good, it was by an artist called Heart, she put it on the spinner and waited for the sound to accumulate through. The song, which she later figured out to be called ‘Dreamboat Annie’, was wonderful, and she enjoyed the next track, ‘Little Queen’ even more. Emma ate and enjoyed the music, she played a few more and time seemed to fly by. She remembered Regina mentioning Van Halen, and when she found the record 1984, she played it, finding herself infatuated as the last track, titled the same as the album itself, rang through.   
After her music binge came to an end, she looked to the time, 12:30, she gasped and ran upstairs to prepare herself for the day.

  
  
Her doorbell rang it’s melodious tune, she’d always loved listening to it, it actually made visitors more fun. Regina, sporting a silky purple blouse and umber trousers, made her way to the door. Though she knew who was expected, she looked through the peep hole to see a young girl of average height with curly hair that spiraled up to chin length. Opening the door, she put on a refreshing smile.

  
“Hello,” She purred.

  
“Hi, Regina, right?” The girl asked.

  
“Correct, come in.” Regina said, ushering her within the apartment. The girl looked about before turning as Regina pushed the door shut, locking it. “How are you?” She asked.  
“I’m well, aside from being tired as hell.” She affirmed. “Sorry again for depriving you of sleep.” She went on to apologize again.

  
“Already forgotten,” Regina smiled reassurance, she dazzled back. “Please, let’s sit.” Regina motioned towards a red leather couch. They both moved to it and sat, a couple of feet distanced them. “Something to drink? Water, juice..” She listed.  

  
“I’m great right now, thanks though.” She said, her eyes wandered about the large and open room, modern in it’s style with red and white accents. Large, floor to ceiling windows faced westward, though only the road and another complex were visible. “Your home is beautiful.”  
“Thank you, dear, I am quite fond of it. I can even begin to tell you how much stress it was to paint, let alone decorate. I did it alone, so you can imagine.” She laughed and stood to make herself a drink. “Cider, I brew it myself, best I’ve ever had, but everyone is entitled to their opinions.” Regina tilted her head, grabbing two tumblers.

  
“I’m not old enough to drink.” The newcomer blushed.

  
“Has that ever stopped you before?” Regina raised a brow. “I’m not telling you to get wasted, but it’ll take the edge off. Everything is fine in moderation.” She said.

  
“You’re right, in that case, I’d love a glass.” She said, and turned back to her phone that vibrated in her pocket, she checked it then turned it off. Regina returned with the cider she’d promised, the girl took it gratefully before taking an awkward gulp, choking.”Shit!” She coughed.

  
Regina pat her back in hopes of relieving her, but as soon as the girl finished coughing, she fell into laughter. Bleary eyed, she faced Regina, who then laughed just as hard.   
“I’m sorry, I’m not so great at these things.” She confided.

  
“Nothing to be sorry about, this is a judgement free household.” Regina motioned with her hand around her home. “I don’t believe you have told me your name?”

  
“Nice to know, because I’m certainly going to make a fool of myself at least ten more times.” She laughed. “But yeah, I never told you, is it okay if I don’t?”

  
“I don’t think you are even capable, but if you say so, and yes, for now and only if I can rest assured you are not a murderer.” Regina chuckled, sipping her cider before placing it on a black tile coaster upon the glass end table. The young lady laughed as though she couldn’t believe her ears, then downed the rest of the drink, not even a wince this time around.   
“So, you’re going to have to guide me through this a bit, I’ve done my research, but now, it all seems useless as I can’t seem to remember a lick of information.” She set the glass down on a similar tile, crossing her legs. She wore denim shorts and a black v-neck, casual but it suited her as well as anything formal would.

  
“I do believe that’s what I’m here for.” Regina retorted, her sassy self unable to stay hidden for too long. “And, research?” She questioned.

  
“Yeah,” The girl blushed. “I’m a geek, my friends say a know-it-all, but they’re just jealous that I can actually retain information and use it at my leisure.”

  
“A good quality, no wonder they envy you.” Regina took hold of her drink once more, the glass had an icy sweat.

  
“I hope they don’t, envy me, I mean. I like to think everyone an equal.” She began, moving a lock behind her ear, which Regina saw was pierced.

  
Deciding she’d rather not waste any more time, she cut straight to the point. “Why are you here, dear?” She asked.

  
“Well,” Her face grew red as raw. “Can you ask a less direct question?”

  
“Very well, though will assure you again this is a judgement free conversation, and relationship, but I also do not wish to make you uncomfortable in any way, I like that you are not afraid to voice it.” Regina finished off the drink and set the glass down once more. “Do you enjoy pain?” She folded her hands.

  
“Yes.” She breathed, not daring make eye contact with the beautifully intimidating woman.   
“How much?” She went on. “On a one to ten scale. Ten being, say, knife play, one being, hmm, spanking.”

  
The teen contemplated before answering. “7, though I do enjoy knife play, I’m hesitant to go all out and say ten.” She replied.

  
“Fair enough, do you enjoy being humiliated?”

  
“No, hate it.”

  
“Okay.” Regina thought. “Discipline?” She went with.

  
“Give me an example, a scenario.”

  
Regina inhaled before answering. “Alright, say we were in a scene, I asked you not to speak, but you do, so I would punish you by depraving you of all outside senses, sight, touch, smell, taste, all but your ability to hear, since my voice is low and husky, I can bring you to the edge with just that. But of course, this is punishment, so when I can feel you climaxing, I stop, and since your body will be at an increased temperature I will use ice or metal that had been in the freezer, and the sensations will be too much for your body, you’ll be overwhelmed but not able to find release, which will be very frustrating, and in that is your punishment.” Regina sighed. “That is only what came to mind, what we will do could be much different, or it could be similar, that’s what we’re trying to find out, once I stop talking.” She chuckled.

  
“And you’ve, done that to people?” She asked, intrigued.

  
Regina nodded slowly. “Yes, a few times, it’s very pleasurable to watch, any kind of stimulation, so many emotions are played out, it’s very organic, like I’m witnessing the true soul of a person, it’s truly breathtaking.”

  
“Wow.” She breathed, at a loss for words for the first time in a long time.

  
“Shall I go on?” At the girl’s nod, Regina did so. “Do you know what sensory deprivation is?” Another nod. “I mentioned it in my hypothetical, yes. Well this, is far more intense than than, because I have a tank, it’s soundproof, light proof. So, when filled with water of approximately 98 degrees, a body can float in there and just completely loose themselves. It’s a very extreme form of meditation in my opinion, I’ve tried it, so I can vouch for it when I say that it makes you feel completely out of touch with your body. I was reluctant to try it because I enjoy control and this sounded like a scenario in which it would be completely ripped away from me, but no, I have never been more at peace in my life. It was a beautiful, emotionally draining experience, but I now float myself regularly, or whenever I just need to escape.”

  
“Wow, I mean that sounds great, but what does it have to do with sex?” Her client questioned. Regina cringed internally, but laughed externally.

  
“Dear, whatever you know about BDSM, throw it out the window, because while sex is a key factor, it is far more than just that. It’s also spiritual, or it can be with the right person, it’s something that comes from within you, a place that you may not be comfortable going, and that’s okay, because it hardly needs your consent.” Regina chuckled to lighten the mood as she was becoming a bit intense for this young girl who was more vanilla than she’d originally been given the impression. “Is this too much?” She asked.

  
“A little, but I’m starting to understand now.” She said slowly.

  
“Shall I go on, or do you wish to continue after you’ve had time to process?”

  
“No, go on, I’m fine.” She reassured.

  
“Okay, stop me when you wish.” Regina sighed. “Do you find domination to be a turn on?” Regina asked.

  
“To a point, I don’t want to be hog tied or led around like a dog if that answers your question, I’d prefer at least some freedom with, not so much an upper hand, but more respect, you know?” She narrowed her eyes, to be sure Regina did.

  
“Yes, I have an idea where you’re coming from. May I reiterate?” The girl nodded her consent. “So you wish to be ravished, but not in a way that I would be higher on the food chain, so to speak.”

  
“Precisely.” She said, glancing at the clock, nearly 90 minutes they’d been sitting there.

  
“And you’re familiar with the term ‘masochism’?” Asked Regina.

  
“I am, wait, does this make me a masochist?” She blurted.

  
“More yes than no, but do not think to limit yourself to this title, you can find pleasure in anything you like, and if in my power, I can assist you in your pursuit of it.” Regina told her.   
“Okay.” She let out, she felt hot, she need to leave, she looked to Regina and was happy when her thoughts conveyed from her blue eyes.

  
“I hear you, it’s fine. You have my number, and now we understand each other a bit better.” Regina stood, taking her hand.

  
“Yes, thank you. I will be calling, I just need to process all this, it’s much different than I thought, better even.”

  
“I’m glad I could help, I look forward to your call, have a safe trip home, don’t forget to sleep!” Regina said as she closed the door behind the girl. Secretly, she hoped she’d call, as she couldn’t help but fantasize about all the possibilities. Though she’s never admit it aloud, Regina was a terrible sadist, she loved it and any client who was interested in such, was a most enjoyable one in her book.

Regina cleared the area of discarded and empty glasses, dropping them in the sink with a loud clash, luckily nothing broke. It was after two, she was due to meet Emma soon. Rushing herself into the shower once more, as talking about the weaknesses of the girl had built up quite a sweat, she stripped before stepping under the cool stream. 

  
Emma arrived about thirty minutes before she’d told Regina to meet her at the shop, which had an upstairs turned cafe bar, she decided to have a cup of tea and wait there. The teen took a seat by the window where she would have unlimited street view, making it all the easier to spot Regina when she was due to arrive.

  
Emma hadn’t planned on being so early, but Mary Margret’s insistence upon driving her didn’t leave room for much argument, so here she was. Though the woman could be set in her way, Emma knew she meant well and only wanted what was best for her, so she agreed, and even got a bit of money out of it, the only reason she sat and drank the overpriced tea in that moment.

  
Five minuted till, Emma saw a familiar face, she smiled and could feel her heart beat pick up the pace as the sultry woman strode into the shop, oozing confidence. Emma jumped up, her royal purple leggings and feather gray sweater allowed for full functionality and she twisted out of the impossible seat. Regina was weaving in and out of shelves when she snuck up behind her.

  
“Hello,” Emma sang. Regina turned with a bitter face before grinning at the girl.

  
“Miss Swan,” She began, cut off.

  
“Ew, you’re not going to serve me are you?” Emma joked.

  
“Why, have you done something deserving of such?” Regina countered.

  
“Not that I can remember, but who knows what I do in my sleep!” Emma said. “Come on, I left my tea upstairs.” She grabbed the brunette’s hand and pulled her upstairs to where her drink sat, still steaming.

  
Regina’s lungs must have forgotten how to function, because when Emma took her hand, she couldn’t find it in her abilities to breath. She took a seat across from the blonde as a barista came to take the newcomer’s order. A latte that was spiked with a bit of rum, cafe bars had their perks after all, once you got past the ridiculous names and prices.

  
“How was your day?” Emma asked, toying with her lid. Regina watched as her bony finger played on and off the carb, amused with how the steam would stop an go with it.

  
“It was, nice, I had a visitor, we had a talk and then I came here.” Regina told.

  
“Oh, how mysterious, was it a boyfriend?” Regina shook her head as well as made a face. “Girlfriend?” Emma pressed, hoping that it could be.

  
“No, and I hardly think this is appropriate conversation for us to be having!” Regina whispered, remember that what she was doing was against some kind of code, she was sure of it.

  
“What is appropriate conversation, then, because my filter is down to zero.” Emma admitted.

  
“Well, we could talk about school?” Regina began, feeling incredibly old.

  
“I haven’t started yet, there were,” Emma bit her lip, Regina had to look away. “Complications, to say the least.”

  
“Do you wish to elaborate?” She went on.

  
Emma sipped her tea and sighed, Regina could smell the chai when she did so, along with a hint of spearmint toothpaste. “Theywanttoadoptme.” She blurted.

  
“What?” The woman asked.

  
Emma groaned. “I said they want to adopt me.”She repeated.

  
“Well, that’s great, isn’t it? They could provide stability and, love.” She said slowly, the word never sounding right coming out of her mouth.

  
“Ugh I know, and it’s gross! They are so perfect and I know I should be happy, but I’m not, we’re nothing alike, I don’t fit in.” Emma sat back.

  
“Why wouldn’t you fit in? Do they make you uncomfortable?”

  
“No, yes. Ugh! I don’t know, there’s just something going on.”

  
“Like..” Regina urged.

  
“Like..” The brunette raised a perfectly arched brow at that. “I don’t know! Don’t do that!”   
“Do what, dear?” She rose her brow once more.

  
“That! You’re just mocking me now, and you know it takes two to tango!” She mimicked the expression, they stayed that way until Emma broke.

  
“Hm, seems you need some dancing lessons.” Regina said as her drink was placed on the table. “Thank you.”

  
“Mhm.” The barista smiled.

  
“Do you know how to dance?” Emma asked.

  
Regina tilted her head in a so-so motion. “I can if matter’s require, but if not then I prefer to just watch. Can you?”

  
“Ha! No.” Emma shook her head, spinning the paper cup. “I have, as they say, two left feet.”

  
“Who’s they?” Regina asked, looking around, pointing to a couple of hipsters. “Them?”

  
Emma laughed, the brunette couldn’t help but to fall in love with the sound. “No like they,” she motioned around without aim. “Like society, they.” She whispered the last ‘they’.   
“I see, are they watching?” Regina asked.

  
Emma leaned closer, Regina too, their faces almost touched, but not quite. “Yes, always.” Emma breathed. “But, they watch everyone and we’re just two out of hmm 650 million people in America, so I doubt they care much.” She said, leaning back as she popped the ‘b’ in ‘but’.

  
“Why wouldn’t they care, I think we are quite wonderful.” Regina said, shaking her hair away from her eyes where it had fallen.

  
“Well of course we are, but they aren’t going to take the time to get to know us as the wonderful beings we are. So, we get the pleasure all to ourselves.” Emma hummed.

  
“Then I suppose we’re the lucky ones.” Regina smirked.

  
“I would suppose we are.” The two stared at one another once more, it was far too long to be any kind of friendly. Regina took notice and looked to the street where she saw a few birds pecking popcorn off the sidewalk.

  
“Pigeons!” She said far too excitedly, her voice cracked a bit.

  
Emma laughed at the slip, but didn’t mention it. “Ooh, more birds I know little about, way to rub it in!” She accused.

  
“Well, once you enroll in classes you could take a course on ornithology!” Regina countered.   
“Sounds boring, I don’t think I’ll be needing birdology in the real world.” Emma said the term in hoped of aggravating the literate woman.

  
“Ornithology.” She muttered. “A who care if it’s useful, you could be like me, and just haplessly spitfire bird facts, sound like you really know what the hell you’re talking about.” She winked over her cup. Emma flushed and glared back at the birds as they flew away with the arrival of a new human, just to flock right back once they’d passed.

  
“Last time I saw you, you said you had a reason for not liking control being taken away from you, can I ask why?” She asked.

  
Regina felt her rage building, no, her fear. “Please don’t ask me that again, Emma.” She demanded, her long nails digging into the cup, effectively tearing it, spilling it’s contents.

  
“Oh! I’m so sorry.” Emma covered and ran to get napkins. When she returned, she soaked up the spill, she could smell the rum. “I’m sorry.”

  
“Stop!” Regina cried, her breathing picked up and she felt about to burst. “I have to, I have to go!” She said, pushing the chair back with a screech as she stood, she ran down the stairs nearly falling each time. The population of the shop stared, Emma began to run after her.   
“Don’t you have something else to do, mind your own business!” She yelled, racing to find Regina, who was outside, sitting against the wall with her head in her knees, weeping. No, sobbing. “Regina.” Emma whispered, sitting beside her, so close that the heat they radiated became one. “I’m sorry.”

  
“No. I should have controlled myself, I’m sorry. I’m supposed to be the adult here.” She scolded herself.

  
Emma pressed her lips together and placed a hand on the woman’s knee. “Just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you should hide your emotions, it’s cool to cry, I don’t mind.” Emma said, her hand squeezing around the bone. Regina was glad she could blame the red tint to her cheeks on the tears, or else it’d be too blatantly clear what she really felt.  

  
“You don’t think I’m weak.”

  
Emma laughed coldly. “Weak? No way, this just shows me you’re stronger. I mean, obviously you’ve been through some shit, and you’re still here, helping me go through my shit. You’re amazing, and far from weak.” Emma let her hand fall to her side.

  
“Can I hug you?” Regina asked, needing a bit of comfort and hoping she wouldn’t say no.

  
“Of course, though it’s a bit weird you asked.” Emma laughed as she was pulled into an embrace by the woman, who smelled of Chanel and apples. Regina choked as she tried to fight the tears. “You can cry.” Emma whispered, and she did, for about three minutes.

  
“Emma?” She asked weakly into blonde locks.

  
“Mhm.” Emma said, muffled by her blazer clad shoulder.

  
“Thank you.” She whispered.

  
“You don’t have to thank me for being there for you, it’s my pleasure.” Emma said as they stood. Regina didn’t know what to say, so she nodded. “You have a smudge.” Emma laughed.

  
“Where?” Regina’s hands flew to here face, Emma lightly pulled them down.

  
“Here.” She licked her thumb before wiping her cheek clear of mascara. “Water proof doesn’t mean shit anymore.” She laughed.

  
Regina opened her mouth and closed it a few time. “Do you need a ride?” She went for.

  
“I can take the bus.” Emma shrugged.

  
“No.” Regina said, a bit too protectively.”I mean, it’s gross and I wouldn’t even ride it myself.”

  
“You are a bit more refined than I, clearly.” Emma laughed.

  
“Whether that be the case or not is up to you, but I am giving you a ride, and you will like it."

  
“Okay.” Emma looked up to see a large bird fly over head. “Raven?” She asked. Regina looked up and nodded with a grin.

  
“Seems as if I’m rubbing off on you.” She said, ushering the girl across the street to where her Mercedes awaited.   
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

Emma leant into the supple leather seats as they pulled to a stop due to another red light, they'd hit every single one yet without fail. The car was beginning to feel stuffy, so she rolled the window down and inhaled the smoggy city air. Emma had a strange intoxication with the smell of gasoline, and with it hinting in the breeze, she took a deeper breath and let it out rather dramatically. Regina smiled to herself at the girl's adorable behavior, she looked over to her, she was leaning on her crooked elbow out the window with her eyes shut in peaceful content.

Emma could feel eyes on her, but didn't dare peak to see if it was the pair she'd hoped, in fear of either outcome. When she did open her eyes, they were crawling along the asphalt, pedestrians making better time than they, not that Emma was in any hurry to return to the Nolan's. Emma sighed internally as she thought of going back, while she was grateful of them, and didn't know where she'd be without their undeterred kindness, they were suffocating her with all this.. compassion. Emma was unfamiliar with it, and though she was still young and impressionable, she wasn't sure she wanted their loving footprints to stain her virtues.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked, she could feel the girl eating away at herself. Emma took this time to glance at her, she wasn't looking at her now, as traffic was moving quickly, so she kept her eyes on the road. People were truly awful driver's, so Emma didn't take it as disrespect.

"Yeah." She said, leaving it open to further questioning, as she knew she wouldn't have a choice either way.

"Don't say yes unless you mean it, I thought we were past this." Regina laughed, remembering her sob-fest a short time ago. "Tell me." She urged.

"Well, I really don't want to go back there yet." She said, a hint of bitterness laced her words.

"Oh," Regina chirped. "Well I wouldn't feel comfortable taking you anywhere else, not unless I knew you'd be looked after."

"I know, that's why I didn't say anything in the first place." Emma laughed with little depth. "It's okay, I'm just being sour, it just sucks that I'm finally in the world and I can't even enjoy it." She said, taking her place back on her arm as the window whisked through her hair.

Regina breathed in the sight, Emma was truly a wonder, but her eyes were quickly torn back to the slowly moving traffic as another horn sounded. "What would you like to do?"

Emma squinted in thought before a little light appeared in her eyes. "I want to swim." She said whimsically.

Regina grinned, and mulled over her options. "I think we can arrange that." She said, making a sharp turn, not caring about the curses and honks sent her way.

"Really?" Emma asked, perking up.

"Do you take me as the kind of woman to say something I do not mean?" She countered.

Emma grinned, baby-wide, gummy. "I certainly hope not."

Regina smirked right back down at her before heading to Devil's Pool, a natural hole that she frequented when around Emma's age. "I hope you don't mind a chill."

"Not at all." Emma agreed, before turning her head out the window so Regina wouldn't bear witness to her intense smile. "Mind if I turn on the radio?"

"Not at all." Regina repeated, Emma switched it on, but upon finding nothing of intrest, Regina offered her her IPod, decked out with thousands of song.

"Thanks, I hate radio, it used to be my only entertainment, but now that I have a taste of the good life, I can't go back." Emma said, scrolling through the artists. "Oh, yes!" She said. "I heard this song earlier today, it reminds me of you." She said as Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap blasted.

Regina's heart warmed at that, she loved that song, and had been listening to it on thar way over to meet the girl. "I love that song," She said once it faded out.

"Me too." Emma said, taking the device and quickly pressing play on a new tune. "And this one, you have awesome taste!" She said, the song Foxy, Foxy by Rob Zombie was soon music to their ears. The brunette was impressed with the girl's choices, many of what she chose on the way over were of Regina's personal preferences.

"Ready?" Regina asked as they pulled into a lightly forested lot, void of cars as it was too cold for most people, not Emma though.

"Regina. I was born ready." She deadpanned, hopping out of car with little grace as she slammed the door and relished in the fresh environment. Emma squealed when she spotted the rise of about 30 foot, and turned to Regina to beam before running up to it. Regina leant against the hood of her car as Emma made her way to the top. "Come on!" She called.

Regina pointed to herself as if there was anyone else the blonde could be talking to, before glancing around to prove the point.

"Yes, you! Get up here!" The girl laughed and tried to use hand motions to call over the woman. "Please!"

"I prefer to remain dry, you go ahead dear!" She called back.

Emma waited a moment, in shock before yelling out. "Pussy!"

Regina placed a hand over her heart feigning hurt. "I am most certainly not!"

"Prove it!" Emma challenged, Regina growled before strutting over, and less gracefully, making her way up the rocks. Cursing when she ripped her hosiery, she made it up with little incident and stood with her arms crossed aside the girl.

"Well, you got your wish, what do expect to do with it?" She asked. Emma grinned impishly before nearing the edge and peering over, dangerously close to falling, Regina instinctively grabbed her wrist. Emma looked back at the hand that grasped her and stared at it a moment before moving her eyes to Regina, who looked down as soon as she did the opposite, and then let go. Emma missed the warmth as soon as it had gone, but stepped back from the edge, taking in her surroundings once more before letting out a large sigh.

"Okay I'm ready." She announced.

"Excellent, hopefully we can make our way down without breaking anything." Regina agreed and began to leave. It was Emma's turn to grab her as she shook her head and looked to the cliff leading down to the water. "No." Regina rejected.

"Yes." Emma deadpanned. "Climbing up here doesn't make you any less of a pussy, jumping will prove the point."

"Who says I have a point to prove?" Regina questioned, crossing her arms and leaning into her hip.

"Would you have came all the way up here if you didn't?" Emma threw. Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know I'm right." Emma said, removing her leggings.

"Woe, what are you doing?" Regina asked, looking away before the article could be completely peeled away.

"Well, obviously I'm not going to jump in with all my clothes on." Emma stated, kicking off her shoes and stripping herself of the material, leaving her in a pair of red and yellow striped boy shorts. Next was her sweater, once it was disregarded she was left in a padded orange bra, her breasts weren't large or small, but had a lovely shape.

"Uh," Regina said as the girl crossed her arms and mimicked her stance.

"Do you want me to look away?" Emma asked, and turned.

"Alright, fuck it." Regina tossed, slapping her thighs before stripping herself over her outerwear, now left in a matching pare of lacy pink garments.

"Even half naked you make me feel sorely underdressed." Emma laughed and extended her hand. "Together?" She asked. Regina regarded her offering and took it willingly.

"Together." She breathed, Emma was grinning up at her, then down at the drop.

"Count to three." The teen stated, "1,2,3" And they jumped. Regina squealed and pinched her eyes shut, Emma kept her eyes on the woman as they descended down into the water, mesmerized. They slapped down into the icy water, both letting out a cry as the first toe dipped. They surfaced, make up ran slowly down each other their slick faces as they faced one another and laughed. After the adrenaline wore off they sat and waded, Emma began to chatter.

"I have a confession," She said. Regina's eyes narrowed for answer. "I can't swim." She chuckled.

The brunette looked alarmed and gripped the blonde's hand a bit tighter, pulling her closer. Emma found herself inches away from the brunette, breath hitched as they searched the opposing pools for a sign that what they felt was wrong, none. Regina took a sharp breath and leaned in slightly, then pulled back, Emma's eyes fell to her lips before quickly leaving the danger zone and gazing back into her gates. The blonde leaned in as Regina pulled back with a gasp.

"We should, go, the sun has set, and I'm afraid there are snakes." She whispered half heartedly. Emma looked dejected but nodded and let Regina pull her to the surface. After traveling back up the incline and back down once dressed, they sat, their hair dripping, back in the sports car.

"Thank you." Emma said once they pulled out into the road. "For not letting me drown."

"That would certainly be bad for business, though I wished you would have mentioned it beforehand." She said offhandedly.

"Would you still have gone?" Emma asked. Regina moved her head to the side in a 'touché' motive. "I'm glad you did."

"Me, too." Regina told her, the truth being she was incredibly afraid of heights, for as long as she could remember, but at the time she felt fearless. Regina realized she'd felt such bravery for Emma. They rode in silence for the majority, only speaking to point out random bird or such things.

"Stop here." Emma said as they neared the turn off into her round off. Regina did so and the girl pushed open the door, stopping to face Regina before she jumped out. "Will I see you soon?" She asked.

"I would assume so." Regina said as if it were obvious.

"Good," Emma gave a relieved chuckle. "I'd probably lose my mind if you said no." She said and slammed the door, turning back after a few paces to wave shyly. Regina returned it and pulled away, trying not to read too far into what was happening between the two, because once she did, there would be no more denying it. She was falling for Emma Swan, like never before.

Emma opened to door to the garage, which was always open when someone was home, and stepped into the mudroom. Henry walked past, eating a sandwich, but stopping dead when he saw her.

He smirked. "You're in _so_ much trouble. Mom!" He yelled, and Emma felt her pace pick up.

"What, Henry!" Mary Margret said irritably before she appeared in the threshold. "Emma!" She said surprised before her face contorted. "Where have you been? We've been looking everywhere for you!" She raised her voice.

Emma stood shocked, her hair still dripping as she was pulled into the den by a surprisingly strong Snow. "Uh,"

"I went to the shop to get you after you did't come home, and they said you left with some woman! Who were you with? Do you think you can just do whatever you want without consulting me? Answer me!" She scolded.

"No, what! Stop yelling at me, Fuck!" Emma said, covering her mouth.

"Language! There are children present," She shot daggers to Henry, who skid into the kitchen before he could be pulled into the conflict somehow. "Emma, you are not an adult, you can not just run off and meet _women!"_ She chided in a lower tone.

"And you're not the boss of me! I'm fine, and I was safe, chill!" Emma huffed.

"I beg to differ, you live under _my_ roof and you will abide by my rules! Who you were with has no meaning to me, you had us thinking that, that you'd been kidnapped or worse!"

"Well, ugh!" Emma groaned, she didn't know how to argue this without getting confrontational, and Mary Margret just seemed concerned, "I'm sorry, okay? I won't do it again." She grumbled.

"Okay, but I'm going to have to ground you, David will make sure it's enforced." Mary Margret said, relaxing, her pale complexion returning. "And you will be starting school Monday, you have meeting with the principal tomorrow."

Emma groaned and nodded. "Okay." She agreed.

"Now," Mary Margret chirped. "Are you hungry?" She asked,

Emma smiled, come to think of it, she was famished. "Yes, starved."

"Then let's eat, I made dumplings!" She said, taking Emma's hand, leading her into the dining room where Henry sat, finishing off his sandwich and tapping away at a GameBoy. Emma took her seat across from him, he glared at her before going back to his game. Emma scrunched her face at his unusual petulance.

"Why's your hair wet?" He asked without looking up again.

"I went swimming." She said, flipping a strand behind her back.

"Cool." He said, uninterested as his mother came and placed plates in front of them. "Thanks."

"Thank you." Emma said and dug in mercilessly, she was asking for seconds within five minutes. Snow happily served her and Henry before watching him run off without even excusing himself. She glared his way then took his plate to the sink. "What's with him?"

With a scoff she shook her head. "Beats me, he must have had a bad day at school. I'm sure he'll be over it tomorrow." Emma nodded. "So, where did you run off to?"

She looked at her resistantly before moving to wash her dish and Henry's. "I ran through some sprinklers on the way over here."

"Huh." Was all she said, Emma knew she wasn't buying it. "And this woman?"

Emma but her tongue, she couldn't tell Mary Margret she was out all day with Regina, not without it raising questions she didn't want to answer. "A friend I met at the coffee shop, we both reached for the same book, got to talking, and then went for a walk to get a bit of fresh air." Emma lied, but it was convincing this time around.

"That's odd." She said.

"What is?"

"The girl on duty told me, _you_ ran up to this woman and pulled her up the stairs to sit with you." Emma swallowed. "Why would she lie?"

"Uh," She stammered. "I should go shower, really smelly, all that walking, thanks for dinner!" Emma tried and started to run off.

"Oh no you don't." David said, appearing in the doorway, she rammed into his chest, but he didn't flinch. "Sit down." Emma choked and did so, the couple following in suit. They sat interrogation style across from each other, which wasn't helping the girl's case one bit.

"I think it's time you told us the truth." Snow said. "We're not mad, we just don't want you to get hurt."

Emma groaned. "Okay, I was with Regina." She said, figuring that lying again would get her nowhere fast.

"Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" Snow asked, her face relaxed, now with the conformation that Emma was in good hands.

"Because, I don't know, I don't want you guys to think I'm messed up and need therapy, but talking to her helps." Emma confided, not lying, but avoiding the direct truth. "She's the only person that makes me feel normal, she makes sense."

"Oh, honey, we don't think you're messed up, it's wonderful that Regina helps you, that's what she's there for, you shouldn't hold shame to wanting her help." Mary Margret took her hands and held them together. Emma stared at the conjoined limbs, anywhere was better than into the pleading and overly caring eyes of the woman who held her.

"Okay, I'm sorry, for lying." Emma said as Snow released her, her hands fell back into her lap where they fidgeted.

"It's okay, you told us the truth in the end, that's all that matters." David said, she gave him a weak uplift of her lips. "Now, we have something else we need to talk to you about." He said, he and Emma shared a knowing look as she sighed.

"Okay," She urged, wanting to get this conversation over with as soon as humanly possible. Mary Margret pulled a file out from, who-knows-where under the table and pushed them toward's the blonde who raised her brow, trying to hide her knowledge.

"Open it." Snow urged. Emma did so, pulling out the adoption papers and reading over them. "So," She said. "What do you say? Do you want to become part of our family?"

"This is, wow, of course." Emma smiled, Snow then stood and hugged her way too tight. "Don't suffocate me before it's even official!" She laughed.

"Right, sorry." Snow clapped. "Yay! Oh, since we knew you'd say yes, we got you something." Emma and David laughed as Snow came back with a box. "Since you're grounded, you can only take it to school for the next two weeks, but I hope you like it." Emma pulled out a new Galaxy S5 in navy and smiled wide at the gift.

"Wow, thank you so much." She turned it in her hands, before placing it on the table and pulling the couple into the hug.

"Now you'll have no excuses but to tell us where you're going." Snow pressed as she placed the device back in it's bag and took it to hide.

Emma rolled her eyes playfully. "I was serious about needing a shower though, do you mind if I retire?" She asked.

"Not at all," David said and she turned to leave. "I'm going to be waking you up early to go to school for scheduling." He called.

"Gross!" Emma called back, he laughed and let her go upstairs.

Emma stepped into the bathroom and stripped herself of sticky clothes, tossing them onto her pile she'd created the days she'd lived here, followed by still damp under garments. Stepping under a piping hot bulleted stream, she finally relaxed and let out a satisfied breath that'd been building up inside of her since she stepped foot into the house. Suddenly it dawned on her, this was her house now, her family, she was caught between tears of joy and fear. This was what she'd always wanted, a real family that loves and treats her right, but why couldn't she toss the overwhelming feeling that all over her freedom was going to be obliterated?

"Just be happy." She told herself, over and over, until the words no longer sounded like such, and she had no choice but to believe it.

The next morning, David burst his way in and opened the window, the bright morning light invading the once dark room. Emma groaned as she smelt the fresh air, it was revolting.

"Wakey, wakey, sunshine!' He clapped and tipped her mattress so she tumbled off of it in a heap of blankets.

"Ouch!" She said as her breath managed to escape a bit, but not all. "I was awake before you so rudely ejected me, thank you very much." She sat up and huffed, her waves blocking her view.

"I know, but this is more fun, and look at that! You're already out of bed!" He smiled, she shot daggers his way, but he couldn't tell through her hair. "Chop, chop, thirty minutes to departure." He said, slapping the wall in between syllables, then exiting the room with a slam of the white wood door.

Emma groveled a moment before standing too quickly, she fell against her dresser lightheaded before taking out a pair of black, four button jeans and a beige tank with silky flowers threaded in before pulling them on with as much poise as a hobble footed duck with scoliosis. After brushing through her matted hair, she pulled it into a tight braid, grabbing a green plaid flannel that hung on her door, she left the room, thumping down the stairs.

"Good morning, sunshine!" David cheered.

"Are you doing this to annoy me?" She asked, taking a glass of orange juice that bewaited her on the counter.

"Of course, no one is this cheery." He chuckled and took a long pull of his coffee. "Aah! Ready?" He asked.

"As I'll ever be." She mumbled.

"Chin up, Ems, you'll love it." He told before packing them into his truck, the first time she'd seen it since the first night they'd met, not too long ago. It took a good five minutes before they pulled into the vast and empty lot of a high school, it looked similar to the elementary only with three stories and a tripled area, plus no playground. "Here we are." He offed the engine.

Emma stepped out into the morning that was beginning lose it's bitter chill, and followed him into the double doors, which opened into a large quad area with trees and wooden benches scattered about. They moved to an elevator which took them to the third floor, the halls were lined with dark green and white lockers, which set off the dark cherry wood floors, and matched the doors. David led her to the very last door that read 'Principal Nolan' he didn't even knock and barged right in.

"Davy Jones!" Said a kind looking blonde woman, wearing a beige pantsuit, pastel pink blouse, and heels, though Emma couldn't see them, she heard them when she stood to hug her kin over the desk. "This must be Emma." She smiled and Emma extended her hand, which the woman took and pulled her into a hug. "No formalities, we're family!" Emma smiled wide at her, she liked this woman already. "But not during school, then I'm Big Bad Principal Nolan, sit." She urged, and did so herself. "What grade are you in?"

"Well I haven't gone to school since fifth, but I have books for the years I missed, I'm pretty much up to speed on all subjects up until 1oth grade, which is what I was studying when I.. moved." She said.

"So you're looking to enroll in the sophomore class?" Katherine questioned.

"Yeah, I suppose." She replied.

"Awesome, I have a girl who just enrolled earlier today in tenth grade, maybe you two can show each other around I can place you in classes together." She suggested.

"Uh, is she nice?" Emma asked. "And you can do that?"

"Yes, she's very sweet, her mother is a bit eccentric, but genuine. And of course, dear, I can do whatever I want." She winked and Emma laughed.

"Okay, yeah." She agreed.

"Great," Ms. Nolan did some clacking on her computer before turning to Emma agin. "What electives were you looking to do?"

"I don't know, what is there?" Emma asked, Katherine, as her desk labeled her, handed her a purple packet.

"These are all of them, you get two, I'm assuming you don't want regular physical education, so I'll wave it if you choose one of the outdoor activities."

Emma read through the outdoor activities, but only one sounded appealing to her. "Archery." She said, Katherine smiled and entered it.

"And, you can choose one more from the column on the left." She said and tapped it with a French-tipped nail.

Emma read through the next, some sounded enjoyable, but she decided on something she knew she could do. "Eh, Ill do library aide."

"Awesome, now there will be no excuse for missing homework!"

"You know this is funny, you picked the same classes as the girl from earlier, and I don't even have to adjust your classes, you have all but two classes together." Katherine explained.

"Sounds like fate wants us to be friends." Emma laughed, she couldn't wait to meet this girl, and she clearly would, five times a day.

"Sounds like it!" Katherine said as the printer began to hum and whir with expectance of a new sheet. "Your schedule, milady." She said and placed the purple sheet in her grasp.

"Thanks." Emma smiled and scanned over it.

1\. Archery

2\. English & Literature

3\. Chemistry

4\. Geometry

5\. U.S. Government

6\. Library Aide.

The girl nodded her approval, they sounded fun, fun for school that is, then looked up to her new principal, who gave a thumbs up, which she returned.

"Excellent, should we do lunch? I'm so damn hungry, I've been here forever." She groaned and threw her bag over her shoulder with the flip of her hair.

"It's only 10:00 a.m. Kat." David announced.

"Too long, let's go, my treat, I'll even drive." She threw, the pair following her down to where her Cadillac awaited, as if they had a choice.


	8. Chapter 8

The following Monday Emma'd woken to that annoying twist of butterflies in her stomach. School, just when life was working in her favor, the public school system swept her off her feet and into it's Pin-Sol scented corridors.

"Emma?" A knock on the door pulled her from her half-dream haze. It was David.

"Yeah?" She called groggily.

"You have an hour, then we out." He said, she furrowed her brows at his choice of words.

"Uh, okay." She mumbled, and slowly pushed her heavy body off the bed. She'd made sure to shower the night before, not wanting to go through the burden of blow drying or excess work this morning, and she couldn't be happier. Her blonde locks were intricately weaved into two french braids, she chose to go light on the make-up, since she was not too familiar with the concept to begin with, and decided on a light shimmer eyeshadow with a nice ratio of mascara. Happy with her face, she stripped herself of sleepwear and slipped on a black bra before cladding the fitting navy maxi dress with long sleeves she'd chosen just for this occasion.

After packing all her supplies into the white backpack laying by her dresser, she threw on the gray pair of converse she'd become quite fond of, and slipped out of the room. The smell of coffee and something sweet filled the downstairs area, and she found herself in the kitchen before she was even fully processing this new realm of 'awake in the morning.'

"Good morning, sunshine!" David smiled, sipping his travel mug. "Something to eat?"

Emma grunted. "Yes, please. What is this?" She flicked a hard pastry.

"I have no idea, Mary Margret's idea of a proper breakfast on the go, I'm guessing." He shrugged. "There's also strudel, apple and cherry."

"Oh, yes, please. Where?" Emma asked, now fully awake at the mention of the treat. He pointed to a black box sitting by the stove. Emma fished out a cherry and bit into it. "I really like strudel." She explained, taking another.

"I see, ready to go?" He laughed.

"Yeah, where's Henry?"

"Mary Margret will get him up, they start an hour and a half after you."

"Wow, that is so rude." Emma scoffed jokingly. The pair piled into the truck, it was brisk out, a low fog settled over the residential lawns and the sun was just barely making it's appearance. "Why is it so early?" Emma groaned.

"Time zones, we live in this one, when it's late somewhere it's early here."

"I don't like that answer." Emma hid a smile.

"Me either, but it's all I got." David replied. "Nervous?"

"A little," Emma said sheepishly. "I mean it's going to be weird being around kids my age, what do I even talk about, boys? Drugs? I just don't know."

"Just be yourself, I'm sure there will be someone just as lost as you." He said, pulling into the school once more, only this time the lot was a little more than empty. "Have a good day, call me if you need me." He smiled.

"Ahh!" Emma breathed, she sent him a warm grin as she hopped out of the car. "I will, you too, bye." She waved, he blew her a kiss, she just laughed.

The sun was almost up as she sat on a lone bench under a sizable pine. It was still cold, she'd wished now more than ever she'd brought a sweater or something. Emma pulled out her phone and began flipping through it, trying to look like she had a clue. She came across Regina's number in her contacts, and as she was debating whether texting her was a good idea or not, the bell sounded, and her phone was slipped back into the folds of her pack.

Archery was her first class, it was located in a small room on the East side of the gymnasium. The teacher looked quite extravagent, with his pink and red flannel, black biker jeans, and long gray ponytail, Emma couldn't wait to hear him talk.

"Alright, my name is Dr. Silver, I know you know that, but we got two new kids who don't know that, now they do. Stand up, if you're new." Emma did awkwardly, so did another girl across the room, they made eye contact for a pretty long time before either made notion to wave, which the dark haired girl did first. "Alright, there you go. Lily and Emma." He pointed to them respectively and motioned to sit down.

Throughout the period Emma and Lily made, rather intense eye contact, which was uncofortable on Emma's behalf as she only wanted to look once more without the other party noticing, but she did. Every time. The bell rang, and any other information spat out by the Silver, as they called him, was less than retained.

"Hey," Emma heard a soft voice behind her. "Emma, yeah?" It was Lily, she was prettier up close, with her dark features, clad in a blue halter top, olive jeans, and a black pea coat, she was quite gorgeous.

"Uh, yeah, I, yeah. New." Emma stuttered, using her hands to show she was Emma, and new.

Lily beamed. "I see, what's your next period?" She asked, Emma showed her the school issued itinerary. "Ooh yay! We have everything but fifth and sixth together, now I have a friend."

"Ah!" Was all Emma said. "Sorry, I am bad a words."

"It's okay, I'm sure I can talk enough for the two of us!" Lily laughed, she hooked her arm through Emma's, who was quite enjoying the warmth in the still cold morning. "So where you from?"

"Here, just I was homeschooled before, now I am not." Emma explained. "You?"

"I see, and I'm from this place in Maine, I doubt you'd know it, it's one of those 'best-kept-secret' kind of deals."

"How mysterious." Emma wiggled her brows. "Why'd you move?"

"My mom, she's weird, can't really explain, maybe you'll meet her one day, it'll all be clear then." She laughed. "Do you know where we're going?"

Emma looked around to see they were the last of the straggling students, the late bell rang and they both laughed. "What now?" Emma asked.

"Okay so, room 507, we were, wait where were we? Okay this is a mess, let's just sit, who needs literature." Lily shrugged and they took a secluded bench, hidden by trees.

"I don't think this is allowed." Emma looked around.

"We can just say we got lost, or something, it's our first day what are they going to do?"

"Eh, I don't know, the principal kind of knows my family, I don't want her giving them intel, about my, uh insolence."

"You're funny." Lily laughed, throwing her head back to stare at the sky.

"What? Thanks?" Emma let out.

"What's your zodiac sign?" Lily asked.

"What? I don't know, I never followed." Emma admitted.

"Birthday?"

"October 9."

"Ooh, a Libra, I knew it!" Lily clapped. "I never guess it right, but with you I just knew. I'm a Leo, that's my sun, Aries is my moon, my rising is Cancer."

"What does that mean?" Emma laughed.

"Oh God, I have so much to teach you, okay, what time were you born exactly?"

"I don't even know, I'd have to look at my birth certificate."

"Okay, well, here-" She took out her phone, handing it to Emma. "Put your number in, text me when you find out and then we can nerd out on this, I will convert you if it is the last thing I do." She said in mock-seriousness.

"Wait, here I don't know my number yet, put yours in." Emma handed her the phone, the girl typed in a few swift digits then took an avatar before handing it back.

"There, now you have a lovely picture of yours truly." She put her hand under her chin to show just who she was talking about.

"Thank you. So, tell me more about this zodiac world," Emma said, and the girl took a deep inhale before yammering away until the bell.

The day went by qucikly, with Lily's company for most of it, and then two periods of actual learning at the end, it was all around a pretty good day. The girl's had decided to walk home together, Lily living just behind the elementary school that Emma had found Mary Margret at. They were meeting by the big tree by the football field, the one with the tire swing. Lily was leaning against it, one purple booted foot stuck to the bark for balance. She beamed at Emma as she approached with a dramatic wave.

"Hey, how were your lame classes without me?" Lily called once Emma was a few yards away.

"Probably just as lame as yours without me!" Emma retorted. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Lily said, strutting out a bit as they walked side by side. "So,"

"So," Emma drew out.

"This dumb boy invited us to a party, this weekend, you down?"

"Uh, what, no what?" Emma stuttered, how had Lily managed that? Emma hadn't spoken to a soul the last two classes, aside from teachers.

"Party, yes, weekend, yes." Lily iterated.

"I don't know my," She hesitated. "parents, wouldn't be happy about that, plus I've never been to one."

"What! Well, my stars then you have to go! Everyone needs to go to a stupid high school party at least once." Lily said as if it were the most important thing ever.

"Have you?"

"Yeah, last year but someone spilt a drink on me, so I cried and my mom had to pick me up." She laughed at the memory.

"Oh, charming." Emma chortled, she could see it now.

"But yeah, so you have to go, and I'll be there, so it'll be like hanging out, but with a bunch of other people. And I would love to hang out with you." Lily persuaded.

"Um, I mean, yeah. But what about my.. parents?"

"We'll just say we're staying at each other's place's, then go."

"Sounds too easy."

"That's because it is." Lily smiled, walking backwards. "This is my turn, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Emma smiled. "It was nice to meet you!" She called.

"You, too, Emma!" Lily called back, running out the way of a car. Emma walked opposite with a smile on her face, happy as hell to have met a friend.

Emma didn't have homework that night, so she started to do some extensive research on astrology. She learned all of her sign, and Lily's, finding that the two were compatible in more ways than one. She had been reading up on the other's as well, she had an idea about Regina's sign, and needed to make sure it was correct.

"Regina Mills," Came the stoic answer.

"Emma Swan," The girl replied equally as professional.

"Oh, Emma, what number are you calling from, are you okay?"

"It's my own, they got me a phone for school, and things, I'm actually supposed to be grounded but they must have forgotten. But, yes I am okay."

"That's good, how is school?" Regina's toned warmed.

"Good, fun, I made an interesting friend, she's new too."

"Hm, I'm glad, and you like her?"

"Yes, she wasn't awkward and didn't ask hard questions, I like her a lot. Do you follow zodiac?" Emma asked.

"Yes and no, I find it amusing but my sign is nothing like me."

"You're a cancer right?"

"I am, how did you know?" Regina laughed.

"I felt it in my soul, Regina. In. My. Soul." Emma said dramatically.

"Is that right? Or are you stalking me?"

"Guess I'll only ever know. Ouch, but our signs aren't compatible, according to this web page." Emma hissed.

"What is your sign?" Regina asked. "Wait, it's Libra isn't it?"

"Yes, but you read my file." Emma scoffed.

"True, but maybe I felt it in my soul as well." The woman purred. "Well that is an air sign, cancer is a water, air and water make rain. Rain is my most favorite weather."

"Me, too." Emma smiled.

"Yes." Regina said. "So, I take you got in trouble for our afternoon together?"

"Ugh, yes, don't remind me, they were yelling and it was gross." Emma wiped her face.

"They just care about you." Regina sighed.

"I wish they wouldn't I don't like this all."

"This all?"

"All this.. warmth, it makes me uncomfortable, something is weird, I can smell it."

"And what does it smell like?" Regina asked.

"Old macaroni and concrete." She replied quickly.

"Interesting." Regina hummed. "Should we schedule an appointment? I'd love to know more."

"We should, I would quite like to talk to you, in reality."

"Is this not reality?"

"Who knows, technology and all, you could be a ninety year old man in Slovakia for all I know."

"Touche," Regina nodded, smiling while Emma was blissfully unaware. "Wednesday at seven?" She asked.

"Sounds good, I will run it by the parental units."

"Okay, I will see you then." Regina chuckled.

"Okay, bye." Emma grinned and hung up the phone. She could smell something amazing wafting in, and she'd be damned if she wasn't there to devour it in five seconds.

Emma skid into the kitchen where Mary Margret was pulling out a batch of something out of the oven.

"Oh Emma just in time! I haven't even seen you all day, were you here?"

"Yeah, I was holed up in my room on this astrology binge." Emma giggled. "My friend told me about it and I love it."

"Ooh! I love it, I'm a gemini, you're libra of course, it radiates off of you." Snow laughed. "David is an aquarius, Henry is a pisces, James is a scorpio. Oh I just love this stuff!"

"Nice! Yeah, it's fun." Emma laughed, taking her seat.

"So this friend, what's her name?"

"Lily, she's in like all of my classes, she's great." Emma was unaware of her slight blush, her mother however, was not.

"Oh," Her brows raised. "Well, I'd love to meet her, where does she live?"

"Actually, just behind your school, in those townhouses, you know?" Emma asked pointedly.

"I do, ooh, idea!" Mary clapped. "Bring her by after school tomorrow, I'll take you girls' for ice cream or a movie or whatever you like to do."

"That sounds awesome, I'll ask her." Emma grinned, soon as Henry rushed into the room, reading some kind of book.

"Hey," He grumbled. "Dad isn't coming, he's held up."

"Oh, well I will save his plate then." Mary Margret sighed, setting aside one for her husband before serving her present family, truffle fries and spaghetti tacos, then of course a more than healthy serving of side salad. The trio talked about their days and ate contently, all heading off to bed after the mess was cleared.

"So, my mom wants to take us out after school," Emma said as they sat down for lunch, each with a cup noodles cooking under it's film.

"Like kill us?" Lily giggled. "I'm good."

"No, like out for ice cream or whatever we want." Emma replied, peeling off her film once more, she liked it when the noodles we good but not soft.

"Oh, ha, duh." She flipped her hair. "Yeah let's do it, then she can meet my Madre,"

"Yeah, about that." Emma drew out the answer.

"No," Lily pointed. "No. You are coming, I already have my outfit picked out, and I am going to help you with yours, you are going. We are going. Yay!"

"I-" Emma began.

"So, ice cream?" Lily clapped, Emma smiled into her soup and nodded.

After school the pair went straight to the school, Mary Margret was still teaching when they got there so they sat in the little library, where the librarian let them read to a class that was visiting for library day. It was fun, the kids loved how animated they were telling the story and would laugh at just about anything.

Mary Margret came in as they were helping the woman stack the returned books back into the shelves.

"Ready?" She chirped.

"Oh, Miss Blanchard your daughters are just lovely." The older woman complimented.

"Thank you Miss Pine, I'm glad the girls' could help you." She smiled.

"Anytime they want to come back, they are welcome in my library!"

"You didn't correct her." Emma said once they were in the car. "About us being your daughters."

Mary Margret sighed. "She's old, and I really wanted to get out of there." Mary spun around to great Lily. "Hello, sorry I'm Mary Margret, Emma's-" She looked to Emma who mouthed the word 'mom.' "Mom, nice to meet you."

"Lily, nice to meet you,too. I really like your car, hella vintage."

"Thank you, I got it when I was sixteen." She laughed.

"Wow, nice, I would have totally trashed a car in like two years."

"Not the attitude I want to hear, do you drive?"

"No, I just turned sixteen in August, and never got my permit. I want to though, we just didn't have the time."

"I see, Emma should be learning how to drive, huh Emma? I don't need to chaffuer you around when you could be driving me around. Oh, you could take Henry to school, think of the possibilities, let's get you permitted."

"What no I don't want to drive your car, what if I wreck it?"

"No way you'd be driving my car, the truck, you can have that."

"Oh okay." Emma nodded, looking back to Lily who gave her a thumbs up.

"You know, you remind me of Snow White." Lily said, leaning forward.

"Oh my God!" Snow exclaimed, then went on to tell the tales of all the past halloween costumes and stories.

"I am seriously going to explode," Emma groaned as Lily tried to shove a gummy worm in her mouth.

"Come on, open up, you know you want it!" The brunette cooed, Emma grimaced and turned her face away, only then did her friend give up and pop the culprit into her own mouth. "Hey, Mrs. Nolan, will you take a picture of us?" She asked, handing the woman in question her phone. Snow nodded and stood to shoot a few snapshots. The girl's smiled bright and pressed their faces together, making a few silly faces for good measure.

"Perfect!" Mary Margret said, sitting back down after handing the device back to Lily.

"Emma, what's your Instagram?" She asked.

"What's that?" Emma asked confused.

"What." Lily deadpanned. "No, this will not do, phone please." She held out her hand, Emma placed her phone within and watched as she downloaded an app, waiting as it loaded. "Instagram is the best social media out there because, well because it is. Okay, E-mail?"

"EmSwanSong ." Emma replied, she'd made it last night after needing it to research further into the internet.

"Okay, type in a user name and password." Lily handed her phone back. Emma used her name, but it was taken, so she added two letters after each, and found it to be available. "Yay, now you need to post."

"I haven't taken any pictures." Emma laughed. "Send me the one we just took, I'll post that." Emma recieved it a minute later, and then put it onto the account. "What now?"

"Nothing, I followed you though." Lily replied, just as Emma got a little orange bubble in the corner of her screen, she clicked on it as another came up, indicating the liking of her photo. Emma grinned as she followed Lily.

"You girl's ready?" Snow asked.

"Yeah, let's go." Emma replied, Lily helping her up as she was still true to her word of exploding.

"So, I know you live in the homes behind my school, but I might need a bit of direction." Snow chuckled, Lily just nodded and began to give her exact directions to her house. They arrived after a few short minutes, and minimal getting lost in the maze of streets.

"Hey, would you mind meeting my mom?" Lily asked.

"No, not at all, should I come to the door?"

"If you don't mind?" She smiled, Emma and Snow got out of the car and followed the girl to the red door of a white, Victorian style townhouse. Lily knocked three times, and waiting for an answer, loud music could be heard from inside, but it stopped after about thirty seconds of loud blows.

"What?" An angry blonde woman with roused hair and smeared makeup answered the door. "Oh, my Lily, hello?" She cooed, and pulled the girl in for a hug. "You must be Emma, and Emma's sister?" She winked.

Mary Margret laughed uncomfortably. "Mary Margret Nolan, nice to... meet you." She held out her hand, the woman shook it harshly.

"I'm Mallory, but call me Mal, or whatever, but Mal is good." She grinned. "And Emma," She sang. "I've heard such lovely things." She gave her an impish grin.

"Hi," Emma let out. "it's good to meet you, too."

"So polite!" She snapped. "Why aren't you this polite?" She playfully pushed Lily.

"I am, Ma, just not to you." She laughed.

"I see, well, would you two like to come in? I have tea screaming, it's my personal brew, it's ravishing."

"We would love to but, I only have my sitter until six." Snow said in a haste. "Lovely to meet you," She said again.

"You as well, Miss Snow, do tell David I said hello." She said in a sly tone.

"How do you?" She began but the door was slammed shut. "That is one strange woman." She shook her head.

"But, you like Lily?" Emma asked hopeful.

"Yes, yes, she's lovely." Mary Margret said, but was silent the rest of the way home. Emma sensed tension and spent the rest of the day in her room, doing the homework she would have been assigned yesterday, had she gone to English Comp class.

Emma whirled into Regina's office the next day, happier to be there than words could describe, she had been having a good week, but Regina made her feel less forced to live day to day with this mask she'd become so adept as holding up. Emma knocked twice and when she recieved a 'come in' she did just that.

"Hello!" She sang.

"Emma Swan, like the bird, how are you?" She grinned.

"Regina Mills, like the.. mill, I am good, how are you?" She asked.

Regina laughed breathlessly. "I am well, please sit." She folded her hands and rested her chin on them. "Music?" She asked.

"Of course, surprise me." She whooshed. Regina grinned and pressed play without breaking eye contact with Emma.

"The Black Keys," She purred. "So, let's talk existentialism, my dear. School?"

"I like it, school's good so far, work load is minimal, and I have like two friends." Emma nodded.

"Tell me about them."

"Well, this guy named Hook is really funny, I think he's, you know, gay, because he wears eye liner and always talks about this guy named Will."

"Probably a prospect, but you enjoy him?"

"Yeah, he's super funny, we have sixth period together and we're the only people ever in the library, even the librarian leaves to have lunch."

"I see, and this other friend?" Regina asked.

"Oh, Lily, she's the best, we hit it off immediately, and have like four classes together. She gets me, and she doesn't even ask me personal questions."

"Wow, sounds like she's pretty wonderful."

"Yeah," Emma blushed. "except, she got invited to this party, and she wants me to go, and I don't know if I should."

"Why?"

"I don't know really." Emma pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thinking about it makes my stomach twist."

"Then you shouldn't go, Emma." Regina let out, sounding a bit more protective than she would have like. "If you, don't feel right about it, it's a sign it's not a good thing to do."

"I know, I know, but I really want to fit in."

"Emma, no."

"What?" Emma looked up.

"If you are going to do something stupid just to fit in, you will not, and if you do it won't be real, it'll be the you they want you to be and not the you that you are, is that what you want?"

"No." Emma grumbled.

"Exactly, so do what you think is right, but only becasue it's what you think you should do, not based off of what other people expect you to do." Regina let out, Emma wasn't looking at her, but she stared the girl down until she did, and gave her a warm smile.

"I really like this song." Emma let out. It was Me and Mr Jones by Amy Winehouse.

"Me, too." Regina said, they then went on to talk about nothings and birds for the remainder of the hour.

Regina growled as she locked up her office, it was around 11:00 and she was getting sick of these late nights. The night nipped at her, it was cold enough to the point she could see her breath as she exhaled. She unlocked her car and fell in, less gracefully than she would have liked, just as she did her phone rang.

"Ugh!" She let out, unknown number. "What?" She barked.

"Woah, I'm sorry, were you sleeping?" Regina recognized the voice as the girl she'd been contacting, the one with no name.

"No, dear, I just got off of work, why must you call me at such ridiculous hours?" She asked, still feeling a bit agitated.

"I don't know I'm sorry." The girl replied. "I just, I don't know. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, but I'm going to ask that you tell me your name, maybe then I could understand being dialed at the Devil's hour."

"It's A." She said. "That's the name you should you."

"That's your name?" Regina asked, this girl was very intriguing to her, she always appreciated a good mystery.

"It's the most prominent letter in my name, is it good enough?" A asked.

"It'll do, now what did you want, A?"

"I think we should meet again," She said.

"Is that right?"

"Yes. I'm ready now." A replied.

"Well, okay Miss A, how is your friday looking?"

"Uselessly free." Regina could hear the smile in her tone.

"Let's change that. I'll get back to you tomorrow." Regina replied.

"Goodbye." She said.

Regina shook her head, never had this happened to her before, a client being so unwilling to share personal information, she couldn't help but wonder just what this A was trying to hide?


	9. Chapter 9

The week had gone by fast, and Emma was ready for it to be over. Lily had been pestering her all week about that ridiculous party, and while Emma wanted to heed Regina's words and do what she thought was right, she caved and now there was no turning back as they walked towards her house with the notion of picking out the proper outfit.

No one was home when they arrived, Emma guessed that was for the best, but she'd told them she planned on staying the night at Lily's. Mary Margret had been hesitant, she began to say no, but David agreed, he wanted Emma to make friends and now that she was doing so, he couldn't let his wife discourage her.

"Your house is really cute." Lily said, twirling the tassels on the curtains hanging over the small bay window in the kitchen.

"Yeah, it's nice, you hungry?" Emma replied.

"No, where's your room? I need to scope."

"Upstairs last door on the left." Emma told her, pulling out ingredients for a chicken salad sandwich.

"Kay, meet me up there." Lily said, running off. Emma hummed a response then busied herself with the food she so craved. It took her about five minutes to make the perfect sandwich, and she was quite proud of the accomplishment as she carried it up the stairs with two bottles of water. "Oh my god, Emma this is great!" Lily held up a plaid pencil dress of black, green and red. "You have to wear it!"

Emma scrunched her nose up. "I don't know, I don't have any shoes to match."

"Nonsense! I have a pair of black heels that would just kill it." Lily said, placing the dress on the bed. "Do you like it? I mean I'm not trying to choose for you I just thought it'd be super cute, plus I'm wearing red and black so we could match!"

"What are you wearing?" Emma asked. Lily whipped out her phone and scrolled to her in a flowing red blouse that looked like silk, and black high waist jeans. "Are those leather?" She asked in regards to the pants.

"Yes, they're so awesome, my aunt got them from this really weird shop, I don't even remember the name, but it was great, she grew out of them and now they are mine."

"I like it, what shoes?"

"Well my mom has these red Doc's that I'm going to borrow," she coughed. "Steal."

"I like it, at least we're going to look hot." Emma smirked.

"Girl, we could show up in onesies and still be the hottest there!"

"This is true, should we head over to your house? I'd rather change there." Emma began.

"Yeah, let's go, do you have to leave a note?"

"No, they thought I was going to yours right after school." Emma replied, taking up the dress and turning off her light so they could make way downstairs and out the door.

The wind was picking up as they walked to the townhouses. Emma made sure work that Mary Margret was not going to see them as they passed by the school. The pair were relieved to have made it through that signature red door just in time, as clouds were forming over head.

"It's going to rain, is it cancelled?" Emma asked.

"No!" Lily laughed. "It's indoors, and rain makes things a lot better. Mom!" She called, and stomped up the stairs. Emma sat on a velveteen purple couch that looked old enough to have survived the stone ages. The interior of the home was dark and sultry, not dirty, but messy in a way that screamed the owners could care less. It smelled of incense and tea, Emma like it, and all the lights were red or purple, some green.

"Emma!" Lily called from upstairs, Emma stood and followed the voice. The upstairs hall was painted orange, with different arrays of photos and tapestries littering all around. Blue, natural light flooded out from an open doorway, Emma turned in there, correct in the assumption of it being Lily's room. The walls were light blue, painted over with street art style drawings, a few framed pictures and a single fabric poster advertising 'Punk is Not Dead' decorated the far wall, the only one singularly blue. The large bed was clad with black sheets and a white comforter, the sheets had an obscene amount of fur.

"You have a dog?" She asked towards the hair.

"Yeah, but that's from my cat." She pointed to a bean bag chair behind Emma, where a fat tabby took up most of the center. "Our dog never leaves my Mom's room but to go to the bathroom. He's scared of life."

"Can I pet her?" Emma asked, stepping towards the cat.

"Mhm, her name is Lady Rex. I call her Rexy though." Lily replied, pulling off her current Tom's shoes and tossing glossy Doc Martin's onto the bed, the red ones she's pre-mentioned. Emma busied herself petting Lady Rex and studying the plethora of art.

"Did you do all this?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah, I'm kind of a spray paint junkie." Lily confessed.

"It's amazing." Emma breathed.

"Thanks, I really like that one, not just because it's the biggest either." Lily pointed to a large detailed jellyfish-seahorse hybrid. "You want to change in here on in the bathroom?"

"Bathroom, I have to pee." Emma replied, standing and wiping her palms of cat fur. Lady Rex was unamused by her sudden departed and stretched out further, her fat body shifting the chair.

"Right across the hall." She said, taking off her shirt as she did so. Emma lingered a moment, the croaked an '0kay' before rushing into the room, painted navy with glow stars aloof. Emma made quick work changing into the dress, shoving her previous outfit into her empty bag, the doing her business before washing her hands with lavender soap. Emma entered the room just as Lily was lacing up her boots, the girl grinned at her.

"Looking fab!" She whistled, Emma did a spin and laughed.

"You, too! I believe I was promised heels?" She asked, Lily nodded and jumped to her mirror, sliding it open to reveal a closet, packed with clothes of all colors. The girl fished through until she found what she was looking for with an 'ah-ha.'

"I find!" She said and threw the pair at Emma, who didn't manage to think fast enough, and bent down to pick them up.

"Nice, so how are we getting there?" Emma asked.

"Bus." Lily replied. "It's a thirty minute ride so we should leave in a couple of hours."

"Why did we rush to get ready then?" Emma asked, placing the heels on the nightstand.

"I don't know, but now we can take cute pictures! Wait, no I'm going to crimp your hair, you can curl mine, good?"

"Let's do it." Emma agreed, feeling more excited about the night than she could have thought possible just this morning.

Regina had taken the day off, she didn't have any appointments and was feeling adrift in paperwork, she needed to get away. She'd found the perfect escape in her newest client, the ever mysterious A. Regina knew she could easily find out exactly who this girl is, but she could tell she was just afraid of her name being mentioned elsewhere, and Regina decided to let her have her way. A would be arriving at six thirty to speak more of what she was looking for, and maybe they'd even get to have a taste of what's to come.

The day went by nicely, she did absolutely nothing, and loved every moment of it. The doorbell sang at 6:25, and she danced over to get it. Regina dressed a bit more casually this time around, in a simple pair of loose fitting jeans littered with rips that she could remember creating, and a light blue off-shoulder blouse.

"Hello Miss- terious." Regina greeted, the girl was wearing dark-wash jeans with a bright blue and red flannel over a white tank top.

"Hello, I like your shirt." A said upon being ushered in.

"Thank you, dear, how are you today?"

"I'm good, my friends and I went out to this swimming hole and spent the day there, it was really nice. And yourself?"

"I am fine, was it by chance Devil's pool?" She asked.

"Yeah, you've been?" She grinned.

"Yes, I took a friend of mine there recently, it was her first time swimming and she pulled me off the cliff. I didn't know that then, of course."

"Sounds like fun, and clearly she didn't drown." A smiled.

"Thankfully, that would not have looked good on my part, please sit." Regina motioned towards the living room as she went to make herself a drink. "Cider?"

"Is that like-" The girl began. "Yes, please." She answered. Regina smirked as she made the drinks, heading over once finished, she placed them on individual coasters.

"So, what brings you back?" Regina asked, crossing her legs and leaning back into the black leather of her couch.

"Same thing as last time, only know I have an actual clue what to expect." She replied.

"I have to say, I was worried I'd scared you off."

"Me, scared, ha!" The girl fasted. "No, but you did deter me a little, with all your words and being." She gestured to Regina with her hands. "You."

"Being me?" She asked, furrowing her brows. "Have we met?"

"Yes, a long time ago." A replied.

"Indulge me." Regina said, leaning forward a bit to show she had her full attention.

"Well, I, you were at this bar okay, and I am not creepy I swear," She shook her head. "I was sixteen, and it was my first time using a fake ID, but I saw you and it was like 'wow' because you were so drunk." She laughed, Regina smirked. "But I went over to you, these guys were all over you and I couldn't let them do anything knowing I could have stopped it, right?"

"Right." Regina nodded.

"So, yeah I did and then I couldn't leave you all fucked up, so I stayed even after my friends had gone home with their hook-ups. I mean you were gone, but we talked for the whole night and I had driven you home, but we never got there, you literally gave no coherent directions for at least two hours then you were all 'Oh I live here!" And I took you upstairs, it was a different place than you live in now, but very nice, and you told me what you did and gave me your number, said and I quote 'call me when you're 18.'" A laughed and sipped her drink. "So I did."

"No way." Regina laughed. "I remember you now!" Regina gasped.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yes, yes! God how could I not see it sooner, you cut your hair?"

"I did." She said. "It got in the way."

"Can I say your name?" Regina whispered.

"Ah, no then it makes this real!"

"This is very real," Regina purred. "Athena."

By the time seven thirty rolled around, the girls' were more than ready to leave. They'd waited at the bus stop for around ten minutes before it actually pulled up. The night was cold and had a strong breeze, but the clouds had cleared and a multitude of stars could be seen from their secluded suburban area.

"Ready?" She asked as they stepped off into the city, where it was warmer. "It's just a few blocks that way."

"Okay." Emma replied. "Lily, I'm scared."

Lily linked arms with the blonde. "Don't be." The music could be heard now, the lights and clamor of teens rebelling against society. They stepped into the yard, there were a few kids straggling out there, the front door was wide open so they slipped inside. "I'll get us a drink!" Lily told her, trying to be louder than the ruckus.

"Okay!" Emma replied and stood uncomfortably, someone touched her shoulder and she whipped around to see Hook with a stupid grin on his face.

"Swan Song!" He slurred, already wasted. "How the hell are you?" He leaned into her for support, she had to lean right back to provide enough.

"I'm good, how about you? A little tipsy there?" She chuckled, he closed his eyes then let out a long sigh.

"I just, I'm just a bit, bit out there." He replied just as Lily returned with two water bottles filled with a red liquid.

"This stuff is bomb, drink." She handed it to Emma.

"Is this alcohol?" Emma asked.

"Mostly." Lily laughed and took a long drink of hers. "Want to go out back? They have some cool lights."

"Okay," Emma answered, tightening the lid back on her drink. After only a sip she could feel the hot burn of something in her throat, unaware of what it was, and just how much of it she was consuming.

Emma had drank the whole bottle, then two more, and a beer, she may have gone a bit overboard, but she felt so good.

"Yay!" She sang as Lily handed her a shot. "Lily, I love you." Her words were long and drawn out.

"Aw, Emma's drunk." Lily laughed and pulled her friend into her, they fell in a heap onto the wet grass.

"OhmygodLilymydress." Emma cried. "I, where's my phone?" She asked. "No, bra, it's in bra!" She pulled out the device. "No, boob sweat be gone!" She wiped it on her coat and clumsily unlocked the screen, pulling up the camera. Emma could barely hold it up long enough to take a self portrait of her and Lily, most of them were blurry.

"Post it!" Lily urged, downing the rest of her punch. The girl's were admittedly wasted and having a really great time in the process.

"Lily," Came a voice from behind them, Lily turned to see a familiar face, Belle. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"What do you mean? What are you doing here, you graduated." Lily asked, sobering up at the sight of her girlfriend, who was supposed to be in New York.

"Yeah, Neal said he saw you here drunk off your ass with some girl, I was worried." Her voice carried a slight accent.

"You're really pretty." Emma smiled, her eyes half closed.

"Thank you." Belle said kindly before turning to Lily, angry once more. "Get up, come on." Belle said, extending her hand, Lily took it.

"Wait Lily where are you going?" Emma asked, scared at the prospect of being left alone.

"I have to go, Em, I'm sorry I'll explain tomorrow. You can go to my house if you need a place to stay, I'm sorry." Lily was then dragged away by the woman. Emma began to cry, she didn't know why but she couldn't stop it. She pulled out her phone and called the only person she trusted to help.

Regina had taken Athena out after figuring her true identity, they'd found themselves in Regina's favorite bistro just down the street from her apartment.

"I did!" Regina exclaimed, biting into a piece of bread. "I remember that day so well, I can't believe I got away with it. I would recommend, only if you're desperate."

"I find it hard to believe, you seem like one of those girl's who always is on the teacher's good side." Athena laughed at her tale of changing her failing grade to a passing one by drugging her teacher, humanely of course.

"No, he really hated me, but he never found out, you're the first person to know aside from my horse, but not a person, or wait." Regina chuckled evilly, staring off into the distance as she thought about the differences between horses and people. Maybe she had a bit too much wine.

"Well I am honored," The girl began just as Regina's phone went off.

"Ah, cursed!" She cried and pulled it out, sobering at the name. "I have to take this, I'm sorry." She said seriously.

"No, it's fine, duty calls." Athena replied, Regina stood and headed outside where it was quieter.

"Emma?" She answered, sounding worried.

"Regina!" Came a slur of words. "I made a mistake, I did the thing, the thing you said was a bad thing and I did it." She cried.

"Emma what are you talking about?" Regina asked, she could hardly hear the girl over the noise flooding in from wherever she was. "Where are you, are you okay?"

"I don't know, I'm the party, it's here, and I drank the cherry stuff but it wasn't cherries, Regina is was fucking poison!" Emma was frantic. "I don't know what is going on. Lily left me, she left and I'm alone in this ocean."

"You went to the party." Regina understood.

"Yes, I did and I wish I sorry." She cried. "I can't can't go home, Regina. I'm lost again."

"Emma where are you? You're not lost, tell me." Regina pinched her bridge.

"In the city, ooh bird!" Emma cried.

"What kind of bird?" Regina grinned.

"An owl, it was white." Emma said calmly. "Hey! Peasant, I need directions!" She screeched.

"Hello?" A deep voice came through the line.

"Who is this?"

"You're her girlfriend?" It asked.

"Tell me where she is." Regina demanded. The boy gave directions and handed the phone back to Emma. "Emma, stay there, I'm going to come get you."

"Yay!" Emma slurred, then Regina hung up and rushed inside.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry I have to go and pick up my, I don't know she's at a party and she'd under age, I just ugh! I'm so sorry."

"Regina, it's okay, let me drive you, please you're stumbling a little." Athena said and stood, Regina agreed and they went to leave. "Wait!" She let out, and rushed back to grab the bread. "This is awesome bread."

Regina laughed and followed her out to her car, they slid in and after she poured out the directions Athena laughed. "Oh my god, I was invited to this party. How old is this girl?"

"Fifteen, oh god, is there drugs there? Please don't tell me there will be drugs." Regina pleaded, closing her eyes and falling back into the seat.

"Knowing them, there will not be a soul sober in that house." Athena laughed breathlessly. "Sorry." She said at Regina's exasperation.

"Ah," Was all she said, as she pulled up to the house. "I'll be right out."

"I can go in, I've been here before." She offered.

"No, no, she's no." Regina said and walked into the house, it smelled like body oder and cheap liquor, Regina scoffed. "Hey!" She yelled at a boy who was dropping a pill into a drink, she snatched it and smacked him on the head. "No!" She held out her hand, he dropped the small bag into it, she shook her head and put them into her pocket.

Regina went outback, knowing Emma wouldn't want to be with that crowd, she spotted her laying on her back, staring at the stars.

"Regina, yay!" She coed when Regina came into her view. "I missed you."

"Get up, Emma." She extended her hand, Emma lifted her arm and swatted.

"So far." She moaned, Regina reached down and pulled her up with incredible strength. "Are you the Hulk?"

"No, but I am very mad at you." Regina let out, carrying Emma cradle style back into the house, trying not to hit her head on anything. "Move, idiots, if I had half a mind I would call the authorities right now!" Everyone scrambled out of her way, she made it back to the car where it idled out front. Regina placed Emma in the back seat, buckled her in and then stepped back into the front.

"Hello!" Athena said to the girl as she turned.

"Who the heck are you?" Emma asked, leaning against Regina's seat, twirling her hair.

"The muffin man." She answered, Emma's eyes widened and she looked away. The girl laughed and began to drive off.

"Regina I didn't know you had friends." Emma asked after a minute.

"Emma please stop talking." Was all she said. Emma rolled her eyes. "Muffin man, tell me a story? About the muffins, man."

"Oh, the muffins, do you really want to know?" She asked dramatically.

"Yes, Jesus tell me!"

"There were muffins, cranberry, blueberry, orange, all the muffins." She began. "Then there was nothing."

"That sucked." Emma deadpanned. "Who makes orange muffins? Are those- can we get some?" Emma asked. "Oh my god, Regina please, I have the moneys. Muffin man, please take me to the muffins please I will do anything."

"Can I take her to the muffins, Regina?" Athena asked.

"Yes," Regina huffed. "But you are buying me a muffin!" She pointed to Emma.

"She loves us, Muffin Man!" Emma clapped, then resumed playing with Regina's hair. "You have nice hair, it's nice and smells like love." She inhaled.

"Emma." Regina said.

"Ahh! I hate when you say it like that!" Emma said, heightening the sound of the 't.' "Sounds so old and mean."

"I am old and mean." Regina said.

"No, no, no. Remember the cliff, Regina? The cliff where we jumped and it was like 'woo.' That cliff, yeah?" Emma blabbered.

"Emma, stop talking please."

"Am I embarrassing you?"

"Yes, you are being rude."

"Nu-uh! Muffin Man, who's being ruder me or her?" Emma asked the driver.

"Neither, I am very entertained. Okay, so I'm going to go in, orders?" She asked.

"No, I wanna go." Emma whined.

"No." Regina deadpanned. "I'll go, what do you want?"

"Orange, pretty please?" Emma asked.

"And you?" Regina asked.

"Blueberry, here." She handed her a twenty. "On me."

"No, I don't think so." Regina laughed and shut the door.

"Thank you, I love you!" Emma slurred into the seat. "Did she hear me?"

"I don't think so." Athena answered, rolling down the window. "She said thank you and she loves you!" She called, Regina just scowled and flung the door open, she returned a moment later with a paper bag.

"Emma they didn't have orange, but they had cranberry-orange, so I got you that." She said, handing her the baked good. Emma held it in her hands as if her were the key to unlocking the secrets of man.

"Is this real?" She turned it over in her hands, laying out across the seats.

"This is very real." Regina answered.

"Holy shit." Emma said, she picked off a bit of the muffin top and threw it at her face, missing her mouth completely.

"Emma! Do not make a mess of the Muffin Man's car!" Regina tried not to laugh.

"I didn't, my hair ate it." Emma said innocently. Regina was about to say something but just laughed. Emma smiled and handed her the muffin. "Stomach says no."

"Okay." Regina took it back and slid it into the bag. Emma rolled the window down in a state of wonder, and lolled her head out.

"Why. Aren't. We. Moving." She struggled to say. "Muffin Man, onward!"

"Are you ready?" Muffin Man asked Regina.

"Yes, please." Regina nodded. "Emma, act right." She told the girl, who growled and sat straight, for a moment, until she fell against the window ledge.

"Will you turn on the radio? You guys are boring." Emma said, each of her words lasting ten seconds at least. Athena tuned it to a station playing some kind of strange heavy metal. "Headache, off." Emma complained, and it was turned off.

"Your place?" Athena asked.

"Yes." Regina smiled and they arrived within ten minutes, to Emma's great dismay.

"Need help?" She asked.

"No, I got it from here. Thank you so much." She said.

"No problem, this was very a very entertaining way to end my night." Athena replied.

"I'm glad, I'm sure she'll be mortified in the morning."

"Be sure to ask her if she remembers the Muffin Man." She laughed.

"I will, goodnight, call me, we can finish our dinner!" Regina called over her shoulder, the one Emma was not weighing down.

"Okay, goodnight." Athena replied before joining the traffic.

Regina placed Emma onto her bed and flicked on the light. "Emma, can you sit up for me." She asked, Emma shook her head. "Please?" She asked.

Emma groaned and did so, eyes closed. "Why am I swimming?"

"Oh, dear. How much did you drink?" She asked.

"Enough to go swimming, can I have a bathtub?"

"A bath?" Regina asked, Emma nodded. "Yes, if you can stand and undress yourself."

Emma attempted to do so, but slapped her thighs in wasted effort. "Help me, please?" She whined.

"Emma I can't see you naked." Regina said quietly.

"I'll close my eyes, besides I asked you, I never asked before." Emma said, Regina gasped, she knew Emma was unaware of what she was saying but her heart pained at the words.

"Okay, come here." She took the small hand and led her to the en suite. Regina unzipped her dress and ran the bath, adding in bubbles that smelled like rain. Once the tub was full of warm water, she asked Emma to stand and pulled off the rest of her dress, then undergarments.

"Step up," She said lightly, Emma did and allowed Regina to lower her down into the bath, Emma didn't let go of her hand.

"Please stay." She whispered, Regina sat on the floor next to the tub and leaned against it, facing away from the girl it held. "Regina."

"What?"

"I'm scared." She said weakly.

"Tell me." Regina began.

Emma began to sob weakly, her body rippling the water. "I can't do this I can't, I can't." She croaked. "I can't do it anymore." Emma sobbed, Regina sat up and squeezed her hand, unaware of the tears threatening at her eyes.

"Emma, please, it's okay." She cooed, Emma sucked in shakily then chocked on the air she had collected.

"No, this isn't me." She relaxed and hit her head on the edge with a thud. Regina tensed, but saw the girl was fine.

"Emma get out, come on." She tried to pull her out, but Emma submerged herself. Regina used all her strength to pull up the dead weight. Once she was out, she wrapped her in a towel and led her to the bed, Emma was half asleep by the time she was placed on the left side.

Regina covered her with a quilt that decorated the edge of her bed, Emma gripped it fiercely. "Please don't go." She whispered, but Regina heard it.

"Emma, I-" She began, but stopped herself and sat beside the small body which curled into her, leaving a wet imprint on her jeans. "Fuck." Regina groaned, how had this become her life?


	10. Chapter 10

In her dream she was a fish, well she couldn't see herself so she may have been a whale or dolphin, but she felt like a fish. She was swimming through coral blue seas that shone with hints of sunlight peaking through, causing the kelp to glow around her. Marine Emma swam about aimlessly, exploring the reef with wonder.

That was, until the turtles came.

They were the bullies of the reef, she tried to swim away and avoid their wrath but her little fish body was no match for them. Emma blew violent bubbles as a fin came down on her hard, and then there was darkness.

Now, she was awake and the headache her fish self would be experiencing seemed to have transferred up into reality. Emma looked around the room, it was dark, but she could tell that beyond the brown light proof curtains, it was daylight. Emma groaned taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, it was only when she saw the framed picture of Regina with who she assumed to be a professor, she realized where she was, and she immediately felt her regret puddle in. It was then that she saw she was naked, wrapped in a still wet towel and covered by a single quit.

"Ow." She moaned, trying to sit up, holding her head. Her stomach churned, she could feel bile rising and ran through the first door she could find; closet. "Fuck!" Emma cried and burst through the next door to the bathroom just in time to spill the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl. Emma cringed as she tasted the vomit spilling out, why couldn't she have done this drunk?

"Emma?" Regina knocked soft on the door. "Are you alright?"

Emma coughed and wiped at her mouth. "No, I'm gross." Emma wretched again, but only clear liquid came out. "Ew." She spat and flushed.

"Can I come in?" Regina asked, hand on the knob.

"No! Ah!" Emma said, rushing to block the door with her body.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked quickly when the door slammed shut the small distance she'd pushed it open.

"I'm super naked." Emma laughed.

Regina blushed, glad she couldn't see it happening. "Right, I'll just get you something to wear." Regina then rushed over to her dresser, grabbing a tank and sweats along with a pair of underwear, as she had put Emma's in the wash along with her dress. "Here, your bra is hanging on the rack if you want to wear it." A hand twisted around to take the bundle then retreated.

"Thanks, but no. My boobs hurt so bad." Emma groaned. It only took her a moment to change and she emerged, her hair pulled up into a messy ponytail, Regina stared a moment too long, she looked beautiful.

"Do you want a toothbrush?" She stumbled.

"Please, I used some of your mouthwash but I don't think it was enough." Emma laughed, smelling her breath and wincing.

"Follow me." Regina said and took her to the guest bathroom, where she tore open a Spongebob toothbrush she'd picked up when her Nephew had stayed with her, but he never used it.

"Why does this not surprise me?" Emma said holding the item up as if it were a trophy.

"Because I'm wonderful, now go, the toothpaste is behind the mirror." Regina pushed her into the room with a chuckle.

"Wow fancy, I wouldn't suspect it, what other secret compartments are you hiding?" Emma joked, closing the door. Regina shook her head and went out to the kitchen, where she had been making french toast. Emma wandered in five minutes later.

"I got lost." She admitted, sliding into a seat at the bar, resting her head on her arms without second thought.

"Maybe I should have given you a map?" Regina retorted.

"Ha-ha, I made it here didn't I?" Emma's muffled tone came from beyond.

"I suppose, do you remember coming here last night?" Regina went with, they had to talk about the events of the previous night eventually.

"Kind of, I remember you carrying me out of the party, props for that because you were wearing heels by the way." Emma pointed. "Then muffins, but that's about it."

"Yes, the muffins, quite an epidemic." Regina chuckled. "Thank you, though, you are not as heavy as one may think."

"Woah, did you just call me fat?" Emma deadpanned.

"No, but I could carry you so clearly you are not."

"That's hot." Emma laughed.

"The sun?" Regina retorted.

"That's very hot." Emma chuckled. "I remember someone else being there, who was that?" Emma asked.

"Oh, yes, Athena, we were out when you called requiring assistance." Regina laughed. "You had been under the impression she was the muffin man."

"Were you on a date?" Emma bit out, trying and failing in not sounding jealous.

"Some what, she's an old friend of sorts." Regina went back to turn over the cooking food.

"Oh, well is she pretty?" Emma asked, not trying this time to hide the venom.

"Yes she's very beautiful." Regina told her.

"Prettier than me?" Emma asked.

"Emma, please." The brunette sighed and leaned against the counter, facing away from the teen.

"Sorry." Emma grumbled. "It's fine, you can date, I just wanted to make sure she's good enough for you." Emma said as she was served.

Regina slid in next to her and began to eat. "I'm not dating, we went out, maybe I'll see her again, who knows." Regina chewed. "Wait, I don't have to explain this to you! You are in my house, and only because I had to pick you up from a party I told you not to go to!"

"Well, pft!" Emma replied. "Whatever, you didn't have to come get me! I could have taken care of myself."

"Excuse me! What kind of person do you think I am? You called me needing help, you expect me to just turn you down? I'm sorry but you are mistaken, you hardly remember but you could hardly stand, dear." Regina informed.

"Whatever." Emma sighed.

"No, you do not get to dismiss me! Tell me, what should I have done? Huh?" Regina's voice raised with the question.

Emma rubbed her temples. "I don't know, I just I'm sorry, okay?" Emma said quietly. "Please stop yelling I can't take it."

"I'm sorry," Regina let out and turned away from the infuriating girl. "You said your friend left you."

"Lily," Emma ground out. "She- well she was kind of pulled away, I think it was her girlfriend or something." Emma tried to recall.

"Oh, well I don't see why she would do that when she was responsible for you."

"No, she wasn't! God, Regina why do you say things like that?" Emma tensed.

"Because she was! You were reluctant to go in the first place and she forced you! Emma, I care about you, I don't like where this is going." The brunette stared at Emma for any sign she was listening, but the girl wouldn't face her.

"I can take care of myself."

Regina laughed without humor. "You have a funny way at proving that to be true."

"You know what, fuck you!" Emma hit the counter and stormed out of the room. "How the fuck do I get out of here!" She screamed. Regina let out a frustrated sigh and followed the tracks.

"Emma, stop." Regina told the girl who was trying in vain to open the locked door.

"Let me out!" She cried, pulling harder. "Let me out, let me out!" She screamed.

"Emma!" Regina yelled, Emma let out a weak sob and fell against the wall, quite violently, and began to cry. Regina didn't know what to do, she looked around aimlessly before slowly walking towards the mess of a girl. "Emma." She said softly, placing a hand on the girl's knee, who jerked away.

"Stop it, please." Came the barely audible response. Regina sat next to her, placing her head on the shaking shoulders. "Remember when you stayed with me, crying outside of that bookstore?" Regina whispered into her hair. Emma nodded. "Let me help you." Emma choked and fell into the woman, unable to control her wracking sobs.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," She cried. "I'm so sorry Regina, I don't know why I do this." Emma tried.

"No, no. Sh, Emma you don't have to apologize to me, tell me what's wrong?" Regina wiped her tears, her hair away from her wet face. Emma refused to face her and was staring at hr hand, which she took and fiddled with.

"I can't, what if you think I'm weak?"

"Never." Regina assured.

"I'm so scared." Emma whispered.

"Why?"

"I don't know, of everything, life, death, my family, you." Emma shook her head.

"Why are you afraid of me, Emma?" Regina asked, knowing she shouldn't, but she had to.

"I'm- I," Emma inhaled shakily. "I think I'm in love with you."

"Emma, no." Regina sighed. "You just love the idea of me."

"No, don't generalize me!" Emma let out. "I know what this is, and I know you feel it, too, remember when we met and you stared at me for so long, you stared into my fucking soul."

"I," She shook her head, it was true, Emma had stared right back into hers. "I didn't." She lied. "I'm sorry."

"You did, and you're not." Emma sighed. "Regina, please, just tell me I'm not crazy."

"I can't, Emma, you know I can't."

"I won't tell anyone." Emma's voice was quiet, she still wouldn't look up, still playing with Regina's fingers.

"I'm your therapist." Regina settled on. "This is wrong, I'm supposed to be helping you."

"How is it wrong?"

"How do you think people will see me? David? The rest of the world?"

"I don't care about them, who cares about other people, seriously, why is this some kind of rule? The law is just words!" Emma blurted.

"I do! Emma, listen to yourself, really. The law is enforced word, just because it's stupid doesn't mean it's not real." Regina shook her head. Emma was quiet for a long time, she leaned into Regina and stayed that way, the brunette had thought she'd fallen asleep.

"I knew you felt the same." She said.

"I-" Was all Regina said, then decided against words, she kissed the top of Emma's hair and stood, taking the girl with her. "Come on, we should get you home."

"Okay." Emma replied and waited for Regina to collect her things, then they left.

"Wait, will you take me to Lily's? I have some words for her." Emma asked.

"Where is it?" Regina asked, Emma told her, and before long they were pulling up in front of the house. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, thank you." Emma said, and pulled Regina's hand that she hadn't let go of, into a hug. "Bye." She let go.

"Emma." Regina called after her. "Call me later, when you get home."

"I will." Emma said and waved her off. There was a new car out front the house, so she assumed Lily would be here. With a loud knock she waited, Mal opened the door a few minutes later.

"Emma! My dear, I thought you were here?" She looked confused.

"Yeah, long story." Emma laughed. "Maybe we can talk about it over tea. Is Lily n her room?" Emma asked, stepping into the dark house.

"Okay, I can start a brew, she's up there, probably still asleep."

"Thanks, I'll be down in a moment."

"Do you want the psychedelics?" Mal called, Emma furrowed her brows.

"Uh sure!" She then marched up the stairs. Emma pushed open Lily's door and saw her and another body sprawled across the bed. "Wake up, sunshine." Emma smacked her hard on the back.

"Oh, fuck!" Lily groaned and shot up, giving Emma a full frontal view of her bare chest. "Shit, Emma."

"Yeah, shit! What the hell?"

"I'm sorry I didn't want to leave you, but Belle came back, and I had to," Lily pointed to the girl next to her.

"So you leave me for some girl? I thought we were friends!"

"You're fine what's the big deal!" Lily exclaimed.

"But what if I wasn't! What if I'd been raped of something! Regina found me laying in the fucking grass half asleep! She had to carry me out of that place. What if she hadn't Lily, what if you left me and I was dead in a ditch somewhere?"

"I don't know, fuck! Emma I'm so sorry, but I was just as drunk as you, I didn't know what I was doing! I said I was sorry, please, just forgive me."

Emma grumbled. "I forgive you. But don't fuck me over again!" She smacked her friend. "I promised your mother tea." Emma turned, stopping by the door. "Great tits by the way." She winked, she really couldn't stay mad at Lily.

Emma made way into the kitchen, it was all red, the curtains, the cookware, everything. "Wow, this is great." Emma sighed, seeing Mal dressed in a flowing green dress under a black velvet shawl.

"Thank you, dear, tea?" She handed her a clear mug that had beads floating about in water under the surface.

"Thanks. So, I need to ask you something."

"Yes?" Mal sat across from her and stared right through her.

Emma squirmed a bit. "How did you know my mom's nickname, and her husband?"

"I'm a psychic, dear, it's selective but for the most part I can control it."

"Do you know things about me?" Emma sipped her tea, it tasted earthy, but she took another drink before setting it down.

"Yes, would you like to know?" Mal began, and held out her hands when Emma nodded 'yes.' "Why do you hurt so bad, child?" A tear fell from her closed eyes. "Your love for a woman, the woman who brought you to me, it's overbearing, you can't have her." Mal sighed. "Your family is hiding something from you, you," A brow rose. "I don't think I am in the right position to disclose that." Mal squeezed her hands tight. "You're fading out."

Emma blinked heavily, the room was twisting. "What's happening?" She breathed.

"The tea is working." Mal chuckled, her face contorted into that of a dragon and Emma didn't have time to ask what she meant when she was consumed by the world, becoming one with the colors the house was constructed of.

She landed with a painful snap, her limbs had been replaced with branches, small twigs grew out from them, sprouting little saplings and leaves. Around her there was nothingness, her mind wished for water, and the falls erupted before her. The clear blue liquid flooded out from over the rocks, Emma tried to move but she was rooted to the ground, she thought of grass, and it materialized before her, she realized she was in control.

Emma imagined herself a bird, an owl like the one she'd seen the other night. She couldn't move her eyes, she realized, but her head would twist about almost a complete circle. She flew towards the falls, she couldn't stop, she went right through them, the water was icy. On the other side was a world she did not recognize, like a fairytale. Magic spewed, glittery and prominent from holes in the earth, from the trees and hands of all.

She saw Mal, but she was in her dragonous form, strong and emerald, easily recognized. Emma tried to ask her where she was, but only the screech of her owlish existence came out.

As if on cue the world melted around her, and she was human again, being pulled by an unseen presence, it was strong and the hand around hers burned. Emma felt the soft ghosting tips of finger, or was it tongues? She couldn't tell, but they covered every inch of her body, she could hear her moans and cries, feel the excitement flowing free from her best kept secret.

Emma knew she'd orgasmed when she saw stars instead of shadows, and she began to feel very heavy like something was squishing her without killing her or crushing her, then she felt light as a feather. Her world was overtaken by bright blue, she thought she could smell the incensed aroma that was briefly familiar, Lily, she could see her.

"Emma," Lily looked so scared, Emma blinked heavily, the room was dark, it was night, how long had she been out? "Holy shit, thank fucking Christ!"

"What the hell?" Emma croaked, her throat dry.

"Get up, now." Lily said, pulling her to a stand. "Your mom is freaking the fuck out!"

"What? She's here?" Emma sobered, Mary Margret is going to kill her.

"No, she called like fifty times, she's on her way. God, she gave you the fucking tea didn't she?" Lily pulled her hair up into a bun.

"What tea?" Emma licked her mouth, tasting dirt.

"My mother! Her fucking psych tea!" Lily exclaimed, pulling Emma into the bathroom. "Okay, puke."

"I don't want to." Emma shook her head, she'd puked enough. Lily grabbed her and shoved two fingers down her throat. Emma felt the familiar rise of bile, and leaned over the toilet to let it flow, mostly liquid as she hadn't been eating well that day.

"Sorry." Lily replied, handing her mouthwash and a stick of gum.

"What the hell?" Emma swished it then spit, taking advantage of the gum soon after.

"Just needed to get it out of your system so you don't trip out as hard later."

"There's more?" Emma blinked.

"Oh, yeah, first time? Forget about it, I remember the first time I drank that shit, I wasn't right for a week!" Lily chuckled. "She makes it way stronger now, she has way to high a tolerance," She patted Emma's shoulder as the doorbell rang. "Come on, your stuff is by the door." Lily pulled her down the stairs. The girl pulled open the door to a pissed off Mary Margret, who looked about ready to tear off the heads of a few kittens. "Hi!"

"Hello, where's Emma?" She said, short.

"Right here, sorry, we were doing make over's and lost track of time." Lily laughed and pulled Emma into a tight hug. "Good luck, call me if it's bad."

"I uh, bye." She laughed and ran out the door into Snow's car. "How was your day?"

"Emma, what are you doing?" Snow asked, she could see right through her daughter's bull. "Whose clothes are these?"

"Lily's , I forgot pajamas." She told. "I'm just waiting for you to drive us back."

"Yeah, okay. Why didn't you call me last night? Or this morning? Do you think that's okay?" She started the engine.

"I didn't mean to, I forgot we were having fun, I'm sorry."

"Are you doing drugs? Your pupils are dilated, Emma I swear if you are doing drugs," She shook her head.

"No, I'm not!" She squeaked.

"Stop lying to me."

"I'm not, I swear." Emma said, looking her in the eyes, but not being able to hold the contact. "You don't believe me."

"No, I don't." She let out a humorless laugh. "I can't even, I don't know what to say, Emma."

"Are you going to send me away?" Emma whispered.

"Emma, you know that is not going to happen, don't think I'm going to feel bad for you just because you play that card, it's not working."

Fuck, she knows all the tricks. "Alright." Emma said as they pulled up into the drive.

"Go sit in the kitchen." Mary instructed, Emma did so and sat in the dimly lit room, it was like the night she came home late times ten.

"David, no she's doing drugs, her pupils are the size of Coke cans!" Emma could her her mother's voice.

"I'm sure she's fine." David said back.

"Don't downplay me! I know what drugs look like!"

"I'm not, you just worry too much." David replied, entering the room with a flashlight. "Hey kid." He turned her chin up and flashed the light in her eyes. His brows raised when he found them severely dilated and bloodshot. "So you were right."

Mary Margret hit his arm and muttered an insult before sitting extremely close to Emma, who scooted away. "Spill." Was all she said.

"Spill what?" Emma croaked, laughing nervously.

"Was it acid? LSD? Mushrooms?" David listed.

"Tea, I don't know it was tea, really weird tea." Emma shook her head. "I didn't know, I swear." She defended.

"Who gave you the tea? Was it Lily?" Snow began.

"No, I just took it out of the cabinet, it was the only one they had besides licorice," Emma lied, they did have licorice tea, certainly.

"She keeps drugs laying about!" Mary Margret exclaimed. "I knew there was something off about her. I don't like this, David."

"No, stop, she's a psychic, it's awesome she told me about my life and it was true!" Emma recalled her words. "She said you were keeping secrets, is that true?"

"No, are you serious?" Snow went off, her face turning red.

"Mary Margret," David sighed. "Please, let's just sleep on this. Emma are you tired?"

Emma shot him a glare. "Yes."

"Go to bed, we'll talk about this tomorrow." Emma stood slowly, she could smell his shade as she shuffled out of the room and up to her room. The blonde collapsed onto the bed and pulled out her phone, it was charged but she couldn't remember ever plugging it in. She sighed and slipped out of the window, onto the roof, and dialed Regina.

"Hey," She said once the woman answered.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Could be worse, I'm in so much trouble." She sighed.

"They found out about last night?" Regina replied, feeling bad for the girl.

"No, worse, after I went to Lily's her mom gave me this, this drug tea, and I guess I went on a trip, Mary Margret had been calling me all day, but I was gone."

"Drug tea?" Regina laughed. "You just can't win."

"Tell me about it, but I'm fine now, Lily said I'll have episodes for the next couple of days, so that'll be fun." Emma laughed, just to hear the sound. "I'm sorry again."

"What do you mean?" Regina asked, truly shocked.

"Nothing, I just am." Emma smiled. "I'm going to sleep though, if they don't kill me tomorrow, they'll probably be sending me to therapy."

"Well, here's to hoping." Regina laughed. "Goodnight Miss Swan."

"Goodnight, Miss Mills." Emma retorted, hanging up the phone. She lingered outside a moment, enjoying the cold breeze that nipped at her bare skin, before skipping back inside.


	11. Chapter 11

The alarm blared, Regina groaned at the awful sound, in that moment there was no uncertainty that it was the bane of her existence. With a heavy groan she pushed it off her nightstand, that shut it up.

Monday again, she thought as she flung her legs off the bed and walked into the bathroom. She got light headed and tripped up into the threshold, but didn't fall. This in it's own was surprising, it had become ritual that she would fall at least once on Monday mornings. Thank God she lived alone or her guise of undeterred grace would be compromised.

The brunette turned on the shower without turning on the lights, she truly hated fluorescents, and went for showering in the dark if she had any say in the matter. Regina waited until the temperature was just right, a little on the cold side while still providing enough warmth to sustain a climate change from the outside world. She washed her hair, still half asleep as the foamy creme scented bubbles fell into her face. Wash, rinse, repeat and she reluctantly offed the system, now feeling somewhat refreshed and ready for the day.

Flicking through her mass amounts of clothing articles, she chose something professional but not uncomfortable; charcoal slacks and a navy turtle neck, then to top it all off navy kitten heels. Regina always loved the way heels sounded when she walked, it made her feel powerful and like she could kill the nearest bystander with just a glance. That was the attitude she wanted everyday, so she always wore heels.

On her way out of the door her phone hummed with a new message, she didn't get to read it until she reached the elevator. It was from her latest client, though she was hardly a client now.

Goodmoring, sunshine! Call me when you can, I have something to ask you.

Regina smiled and pressed the call icon at the top of the screen. It rang five times, then there was an answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Regina."

"Oh, hey! Wow, you are up early." Athena laughed.

"I could say the same to you, dear."

"I suppose that's true, so I was wondering," She trailed off.

"Yes?" Regina grinned.

"Right, so I have tickets to this festival and I wanted to know if you'd like to join me." She ran off.

"When is it?"

"It's tonight and tomorrow night, but the passes are only good for one. So, you know, either way."

"So, music or food? I want to know what I am getting into." Regina chuckled.

"Yeah, of course. It's both, the food is great, too. I went last year and really enjoyed myself. The music is kind of underground but really good, since it's not just one style, it's just, it's really cool I can't explain." She rambled.

"In that case, yes." Regina said with a smile, the elevator door opened and she strode out.

"Really? Yay!" Athena cheered. "So, tonight?"

"Tonight would be lovely, I look forward to it."

"As do I, I'll pick you up around 7, cool?" She asked.

"Yes, cool." Regina iterated. "Until then, dear."

"Until then. Goodbye." Athena finished and hung up the phone. Regina smiled to herself, she had a date tonight.

At the office she arrived early, the receptionist, Violet, just stirring up her morning brew. The woman looked up and glared, this had become routine. Regina smirked and raised a brow at the older woman and made way to her office. Upon entering she found her door to be unlocked, which was odd, she always made sure to do so herself. She almost, almost, jumped when she saw David Nolan sitting in one of her chairs, typing up a storm on his smartphone.

"Chief Nolan, what are you doing?" She asked, closing the door behind her, following the path to her desk, she set her purse and keys down on it.

"Sorry, I just wanted to be sure to catch you. I didn't mean to intrude." David said, turning off the device so it went dark.

"It's fine. What's the problem?" She asked, taking her seat, folding her hands to show he had her full attention.

He looked at her water bottle then his eyes flicked back up to hers. "It's Emma, she got into some trouble this morning, and I don't really know what to do. I've not had to deal with teenage girl's in such close proximity since high school." He laughed.

"What happened?" She asked, already knowing full well, but he didn't know that part, he didn't need to.

"I don't know, she was with this friend and didn't call, turns out they were doing drugs or something, she's not really been great with the details, but it's pretty clear what went down."

"I see, and you're afraid this will become habitual?" She asked, he nodded.

"I don't want her to go down that road, Regina, I know if she does she might not come back." He told her. "There's something else, but you have to promise not to tell Emma."

"Of course not." She shook her head and rested it on her hands under her chin.

"Remember in school, when Mary Margret left to stay with family in Vermont? It was early in Junior year." Regina nodded. "Yeah, well she, she was pregnant."

Regina saw it coming, David and Snow had been pretty active in those early years, but what did this have to do with.. "David, what are you saying?" She shook her head.

"We gave the baby up, she, we couldn't do it, we were just kids, we didn't think we could do it." He said, looking at his hands as her pinched them together. "She found us."

"Who?" Regina asked.

"Emma. Emma is the baby we gave up, Regina, fuck! We did this to her, I can't stop thinking about it, this is all our fault." A tear fell down his cheek.

"Oh my God," Regina whispered. "No, but, no, this isn't your fault. David." He looked up to her, eyes red rimmed. "This isn't your fault, you couldn't have stopped what happened to Emma, it was inevitable, you thought you were doing the right thing." He nodded. "There was nothing you could have done. But you have a chance now, to make up for all the years she didn't have you."

"How? How can we ever make up for that? You know what happened, how could she ever forgive us? We ruined her life before it even began."

"No, you can make up for it, just show her that you want to. Don't be sorry, that will make her feel like a victim, she's not a victim, she's a survivor. That girl is so strong, can't you see that? She tries so hard everyday to be happy because she was given this second chance, by you."Regina said, not holding back at all.

"What do I do? If I can't be sorry what do I do?"

"I can't tell you that, she's your daughter, David, you should know this better than anyone."

"But I don't." Was all he said.

"If I know Emma, all she could ask for is assurance, that you are going to stay by her even if she messes up, like she did this weekend."

"You do." David nodded.

"What do you mean?"

"You know her, she likes you, Regina." He looked up to meet her gaze. "Help me, help me save my daughter."

"I don't," Regina began, her voice cracking. What does he mean? She didn't know how to save Emma, not in the way David so clearly wanted, why was he looking to her for this help?

"Please." He added, his voice as pleading as his words.

"Okay, I can help you." She nodded. "Where do we start?" Regina asked, then cringed at the way she was treating this like some kind of business meeting discussing construction plans and not an actual human being, whom she cared for a bit more than she should.

"Will you see her? She's pissed at us, after this weekend we restricted her to the house, she was less than pleased."

"See her as in a session?" Regina asked.

"No, not unless you think that would be right?" She shook her head. "Maybe take her to I don't know, buy makeup? God, I don't even know what she likes." He bit out.

"Okay, no, it's fine." Regina blurted. "Yeah, I can do that, should I pick her up from school, then go from there?"

"Yes, please, that actually works perfectly, since Snow had open house until six and no one will be home."

Regina nodded in thought. "So does this mean I get half the day off?" She grinned.

David laughed, allowing good humor back into his features. "Yes, I guess it does." He stood. "I should get back, I'm avoiding paperwork again." He said and made way to the door. "Regina. Thank you." He smiled warmly, she nodded, matching his expression. Regina let realization wash over her, Emma had found her family after all these years, and they loved her, she was so lucky. Was it fate? Regina was a firm believer in such things, it honestly brought her more joy than she could suppress in that moment as a wide smile lit up her face. She really wished she could tell this to Emma, she knew how happy it would make her.

But would it? The blonde hadn't exactly been given a great deal of cards, fact for a while it seemed as if they were all stacked against her. No, she couldn't tell her, it wasn't her place, and David had asked her not to. Regina cleared her throat and turned on her computer, she had about six hours until she was due to retrieve Emma, and she was going to get some work done in the mean time.

Emma had gone to school looking exactly as she felt; like shit. With a loose pair of sweats that she assumed we Davids, a beige tank and gray hoodie, she was just the poster child for not giving a flying damn. Lily had been trying to get more than a few words out of her since first period, it was now lunch and Emma had only uttered about ten different words to the girl. In class this could fly as Emma could direct attention to the teacher or whatever assignment they'd been issued. Now it was lunch, and her hoagie wasn't a pliable distraction.

"Emma, I have news." Lily told her. "And now you have to listen to me, so I'm going to tell you."

"Okay." Emma sighed.

"So, Belle is coming up this week, tomorrow actually, and she's really mad at me so I wanted to know if you would come over to soften the blow?"

"Can't, grounded."

"Emma, for real?" Lily groaned. "She's so going to dump me." Lily fell into her arms on the table.

"Why?" Emma asked.

"Okay, so," Lily perked up. "she called me after she got to her dorms on Sunday all mad since she left her school bag here, and her shirt which I'm wearing." Lily opening her knit beige sweater to reveal a silky pink button up with daisies sewn into the collar. "And I didn't really react because, what does she want me to do about it? Yeah, and she thinks I am 'unemotional' and don't love her or some bullshit. But, now she's coming up and I think she's going to dump me and I'm sad because we've been together for almost two years, like, I don't know what to do. This is so stupid." Lily told and looked to Emma who chewed slowly, not knowing what to say, she avoiding eye contact. "Emma!"

"What?" She said, spitting lettuce in her blurt. They both chuckled.

"Help me!" Lily shook her wrist dramatically.

"I'm not good with relationship advice, but you should do some sort of grand gesture, is she into that kind of sappy shit?" Lily nodded slowly, shugging. "Then do that, show her you love her and don't want to lose her."

"Okay, I can do that." Lily turned and sipped her soda. "Oh!" She hit the table, Emma started and spilt her drink.

"Ah! What?" Emma cried, scooting to avoid the leakage as she threw away the now empty can, moving to the oppisite, dry side of the table.

"Who's Regina?" Emma's heart stopped, she was unaware of the flush of her cheeks.

"Uh, what? I don't know."

"Liar!" Lily accused, pointing a finger in her direction. "You said that she carried you out of the party and took you home with her!" Emma scrunched her face.

"Oh, uh, did I say that?" Emma stalled.

"Yes, now tell me all the details! Is she your mystery lover?" Lily oozed.

"God, no! I like her, a lot, actually, but she just thinks I'm a fucked up kid." Emma shrugged. "Plus I think she's seeing someone."

"Oh yes! An older woman? I like it, I like it." Lily nodded. "Wait, how old?"

"Uh, like twenty seven." Emma said quietly.

"Shut the front door!" Lily exclaimed. "Oh my god, and she saw you drunk? Tell me all about it!"

"Uh, it was so embarrassing. I was so wasted and she was on a date when I called. I called her girlfriend the muffin man for an hour and made her take us to get muffins." Emma shook her head and laughed. "Then I couldn't even take off my clothes and she saw me naked and put me to bed naked, in her bed!"

"She's in love with you."

"How do you know?"

"Duh, she ditched her date to help you and took you home with her, showered you, then let you sleep in her bed. What kind of adult does that?"

"I know, but I asked her and she was like 'what else should I have done? Leave you there where you could have been taken advantage of?'" Emma mimicked Regina's strict tone. "Then I told her I thought I was in love with her and get this, she never denied her feelings for me, well she did but I know she is lying because she thinks it immoral or some bull."

"Can I meet her?"

"No! Why would you want that?" Emma blurted.

"To assess the situation." Lily added.

"Maybe." Emma began as her phone began to blare, she went white when she saw the name. "Shit, it's her!"

"Ah!" Lily scooted in as Emma answered.

"Hello?" She said quickly.

"Emma, it's Regina."

"Yeah, duh I have your number." Emma giggled, Lily looked at her with knowing eyes and a smirk to match.

"Right, what time do you get out from classes?" She asked.

"Uh, 1:30, why?"

"I am going to pick you up, I wanted to be sure you looked for my car."

"What? Why?"

"To kidnap you, of course." Regina laughed. "No, but we're going out, wherever you like."

"Okay, what's the catch?"

"Nothing illegal."

"Damn." Emma laughed. "Okay, well sounds fun. I'll see you in a bit?"

"You will." Regina agreed. "I'll see you soon, Miss Swan." And she hung up. Lily sat up and grinned at her friend.

"What?"

"I told you she was in love with you." Lily admitted, Emma laughed and put her phone away, finishing off her food quickly as the bell for fifth period was just going off.

"I doubt it, I'll see you later!" Emma called as they went their separate ways.

Regina arrived ten minutes after final bell, Emma had been standing by the flag pole, wishing she looked less horrible that day. When she spotted the Benz she tried to contain herself and not smile like an idiot, but that wasn't happening. Sliding into the familiar leather seats, she shut the door, on her hair, which was tied up in a ponytail.

"Ow, dammit!" She swore, opening the door and collecting her hair then slamming it once more. "Rude. Hello, how are you?" She went on.

Regina chuckled at her struggle. "Nice. I am well, you look comfortable."

"That's a nice way of saying 'terrible.'" Emma laughed.

"If I had meant terrible I would have said so, I'm not one to beat around the bush." Regina retorted, pulling out in front of an incredibly slow minivan, which honked in return. "Fucker." She uttered.

"People suck at driving around here." Emma commented. "I am happy to not be one of them."

"This is true. But you should consider getting your license, it makes getting places much less taxing."

"Mary Margret told me she wanted me to, but I'm lazy and she basically told me I would be just driving her and Henry around." Emma told.

"Well, of course, while you have your permit, but once you get licensed, you're home free. Did she say what car you would be driving?"

"She said I could have David's truck."

"Emma! What are you doing, you should get this done, then you're golden."

"Eh, so lazy. It's not like I have places to be anyway."

"You could." Regina replied. "You could get a job, make friends." She listed.

"I know where you live." Emma stated.

"Yes, I know where you live, too." Regina laughed.

"I don't think I should drive, since I would only come and annoy you."

"I think you should drive, Emma." Regina grinned.

"Me, too." Emma agreed. "Okay, so where are we going?"

"Up to you." Regina

"Pizza, we should get pizza." Emma decided.

"Pizza it is." Regina turned heading towards the city. She sat in her silence as Emma rolled the window down and lolled her head out into the breeze, she leaned on the sill and closed her eyes. Regina tried to keep her eyes on the road as much as possible but she snuck more than a few glances; the girl was mesmerizing.

It took more than a few minutes, traffic being as heavy as possible at that moment, not that either minded in the least. But, before too long they inched into a place before a small pizza joint that was highly underrated, in Regina's opinion. The pair strolled in and took a seat, only having to wait a few moment when a young waiter clad in jeans and a button up, topped of with a tie, walked up, took their drink orders.

"I love the way it smells in here." Regina gave, inhaling to prove her point. "I used to come here when I was in school and spend all day with my friend, her name was Mal, we would order a pizza and just mass amounts of french fries. It was wonderful."

"Are you still friends?" Emma asked.

"No, no. She moved away a long time ago, I never knew where." Regina shrugged as the waiter returned with a sprite and iced tea.

"Ready to order?" He asked, Regina nodded and told him their request; cheese pizza, house salad, and a side of fries. Accordingly, this place had the best fries, and Emma couldn't leave until she had some.

"Thank you." She said as he left. "Anyway, I never saw her after freshman year."

"Will you tell me about her?" Emma asked.

Regina sighed and went back to the place in her mind where Mal still lived. "We had been friends by default, in first grade no one wanted to be friends with us, we were freaks." She laughed, kids were so rude. "So, we would talk and draw together during recess. Plotting world domination was a feat, we thought we could actually do it. She was an interesting girl, intuitve, it was scary sometimes just how much she could figure with just a look. I remember that when, when my mother was taken away, she had told me to stay with her. When I had asked her why she didn't answer, she just said that I don't want to see it. She really scared me that day, and I was really uncomfortable sitting in her car for so long without speaking. Mal was older, she got her car freshman year and finally everyone wanted to be her friend. But she still hated them, the only person who stepped foot in it was me and her. I was so sad when she left, she never even said goodbye, not really, she left a note though, saying she'd never forget me, that I would do great things." Regina finished her tale with mocking jazz hands. "I think she'd be disappointed."

"Why?" Emma asked.

"I've not done anything great."

"You mean not yet?" Emma continued.

"You're right." Regina agreed, their food had arrived just then and they dug in. "Try the fry." She held one up to Emma, or rather smacked her in the face with it.

"Eh, I'm going to get acne." She said in a mock disgusted accent as Regina wiped the stick on her nose. "Stop!" Emma drew out.

"Then eat it!" Regina urged, Emma grinned as she took the culprit and popped it in between her teeth, chewing slowly as Regina eyed her expectingly.

"This is great." Emma gave finally. The 't' in this sounding much more like a 'd.'

"I told you so!" Regina announced, victoriously.

"Can I ask you something, you don't have to answer but I have to ask?" Emma let out after a few moments of food silence.

"Okay," Regina nodded slowly.

"You said your mother was taken away. Why?"

"Oh, you caught that." Regina's heart rate picked up.

"It was a key exponent in your memorial." Emma nodded. "You still don't have to answer." She repeated.

"Well, I," Regina began but she could feel the emotion picking up, threatening to take over. Some wounds never heal. "Maybe another time."

"Okay," Emma smiled reassuringly as she leaned away from the table. "I need to stop eating so much, I'm going to die." She groaned.

"But what a way to go!" Regina laughed, though it held little humor. "What should we do next?" She asked.

"You should choose." Emma breathed, it was hard enough deciding on pizza.

Regina thought for a moment, before the perfect idea came to mind. "How do you feel about goats?" She asked.

"I mean, they are cute, they eat cans. Right?"

"Some," Regina smiled. "well, I know just the place, ready?" She asked, Emma stood and after they paid and tipped the lovely waiter they were out the door.


	12. Chapter 12

Regina rolled the windows down, as Emma liked it, as she drove out of the city limits. The tree line grew denser.

"Full disclosure, okay?" Emma began, turning from the scenery to face Regina. "This isn't you trying to take me out, right? Because if you're going to murder me, I have some standards."

Regina held back a chuckle. "Oh? Do tell."

"Wait, really?" Emma squirmed a tad.

"Yes of course." Regina replied. "Emma, I am not going to murder you, seriously? I would never get away with that." She finished with a smile.

"Right." Emma said through a baby-wide smile. "Anywho. First, it would have to be somewhere quiet and beautiful, lame, but I am not down to die in a fucking gutter, smelling like straight up rot."

"Understandably." Regina grinned.

"It would have to be painful, but not agonizingly so, like okay," She flipped her braid over her bare shoulder to emphasize her impending tale. "Throat slit, drowning, stuff like that would be.. pretty cool." Emma drew out the last word, nodding along. "Ooh! Bludgeoning!"

Regina laughed a breath, nodding as well as shaking her head. "But why?"

"Well I'm going to die. It'll be the last thing I'll ever feel, and I could deal with the pain knowing it'll be my last taste of it."

"Alright, I dig it." Regina smirked, turning on to a dirt road. "Roll up the window, please." Emma did so as bits of loose gravel hit the surface, Emma seemed entranced with the little nicks they would produce if she stared hard enough.

"Wow, they're beating up your car." She said in a small voice. "Doesn't that make you mad?"

"Yes, increasingly so." Regina joked.

"Did you know that there are hundreds of billions of universes and within those universes hundreds of billions of stars, and if you added it all up then compared it to all the grains of sand on all the beaches and deserts on Earth, the number of universes and stars would be greater." Emma went on, staring at the gravel, jumping back a little each time a pebble would hit the glass. "There's one now."

"That's quite the fun fact, I think I'm going to use that when I wish to fuck with somebody's sense of reality." Regina said, Emma turned slowly and looked at her with wide eyes. Regina looked to her and grinned before turning to the road and back again with furrowed brows. "What?"

"You said a swear." She whispered.

"Yes, you did as well." Regina said. "Fucking gutter." She repeated. "Do you want me to converse with you with the vocabulary of an urban nun?"

Emma laughed fully. "No, I just didn't expect it I thought you were so pure and innocent."

"Did you just call me innocent?" Regina chuckled. "Oh god, that one's going in the books." She laughed harder. "I love it."

"That was.. frightening." Emma mock shuddered, her grin taking over.

"Yes, quite." Regina sighed. "Bird! Peregrine falcon! Did you know that they kill their prey by severing the spinal column at the neck and they can reach dive speeds of up to 200 miles per hour." Regina listed as the gray colored aerial went on by unsuspecting of it's onlooker.

"How can you tell?"

"I know everything about birds, Emma." Regina said seriously.

"Why?" Emma giggled.

"Because I took a course in college and it became a bit of an obsession from there. The professor was a belligerent wad of semen, but he taught with a passion that I just loved."

"Belligerent wad of semen?" Emma iterated before laughing, Regina joining in.

"Yes! The one that stains your sheets, they never smell quite right after that."

"Uh, are we talking about sex?" Emma asked with a cringe in her tone.

"More the outcome of it." Regina retorted. "Why, are you uncomfortable with intercourse?" She teased.

"No! Just I don't want to know of your encounters!" Emma bit out with a blush creeping up on her, she moved her hands to massage her cheeks so the brunette wouldn't notice, but of course she did, and had to intensify it, of course.

"Am I that disgusting?" Regina put a hand to her chest, scoffing.

"No! What? Obviously not considering.." Emma began, covering her mouth. "Ha! No, no, I don't think so. You almost had me there." She clicked and pointed to Regina who wore a stoic expression.

"What ever do you mean, Miss Swan? I don't quite understand your ramblings."

"Stop." Emma groaned for a good ten seconds.

"I can't stop. I am unstoppable." Regina laughed. "I was going to sing Lady Gaga songs but I realized how ridiculous that would have been."

"I think in contrast it would have been as ridiculous as.. as.. fucking concrete."

"As fucking concrete." Regina repeated, as a barn came into view. "Yay!" She squealed. "I am so excited, Emma. I love goats." Regina gripped the wheel tighter and accelerated quickly and Emma was sent back into her seat with a smile. At Regina's racing speed they reached the distant building in record time, the woman offed the engine and jumped out of the car so quickly Emma hadn't even time to unbuckle her seat belt.

Once out of the car, she noticed a significantly greater chill in the air, and went to grab for her coat but it wasn't on her seat as she thought, or in the back. "Regina." She whined.

"Ah, what?" Regina turned, glowing in excitement.

"I left my jacket at the place, and it's freaking freezing." She told. Regina just scrunched her nose and removed her blazer tossing it to Emma, who nearly dropped it.

"Oh thank god." Regina released a breath she'd held since throwing the garment. "That was so expensive." She laughed.

'You could have always handed it to me like a normal person."

"Emma, I live life on the edge! Let's go-at." Regina grabbed Emma's hand and pulled, running in the direction of the barn, still laughing at her pun.

Once inside the off white colored doors, a single gate separated the outside from the in, where goats, pigs, and a few sheep could be seen roaming freely. The pastures outside could be accessed through a swinging double door that looked to be open just enough for any of the animal, except maybe the pigs, to slide through to the freshness beyond.

"Regina!" A man's voice sounded from behind the screen door, an office. When he emerged Emma saw he was nearly seven feet tall, and muscular but not fit or fat. She stared as she tried to place him; she concluded he was just big, but his aura was warm. His shaggy hair was tamed by a backwards trucker hat in navy, the same color as his polo.

"Aw, Emanuel, hello! I wasn't expecting to see you." She hugged the man tightly, he practically covered her with his arms, he made eye contact with Emma for the first time.

"Who's this?" He asked with a goofy grin, Emma just stood awkwardly.

"Emma, why're you so nervous?" Regina asked when Emma didn't speak up, she waved a hand. "This is Emma, I am taking her to the goats."

"She looks a bit young." He looked concerned.

"Ah, it's.. not that." Regina stuttered quietly hoping Emma wouldn't hear.

"I'm just pulling your chain, Regina, go on in. I'll get Karen, I'm sure she'll love to see you." He smiled and pat Regina on the back, she smiled and nodded before turning to Emma.

"Ready?" She gleamed, Emma smiled and nodded, Regina placed a hand on the small of her back as she directed her through the gate. Emma closed her eyes and inhaled, she was too happy to be touched in that moment and she made a face as she almost tripped over a goat.

"I'm sorry!" She apologized as the little mammal ran away. "Aw." She pouted. Regina grinned and grabbed a handful of alfalfa, motioning for Emma to do the same, and she did.

Regina practically pranced towards a little white goat with black freckles over the majority of it's face. "This is Sampson and I love him!" She declared, Emma let out a singular laugh and looked down to see a mop-esque sheep nibbling the grass in her hand, which she opened to give full access. She looked back up to see Regina smiling so wide her cheeks might tear, her hands clasped under her chin as she watched Sampson roll in the dirt.

Regina was on her way home around five-thirty, she'd completely lost track of time, almost totally blowing off her date. She'd rushed Emma home, smelling like the prairie, and was heading to her apartment with that stench settling in to her pores, as well as that of her car. Even with the window's rolled down she could not seem to rid of it, and eventually gave up, a shower could fix this.

Pulling into her parking space, she exited the car and locked it. Heels clicking against the smooth concrete quickly, echoing through the massive garage that resided under her building. When the elevator took too long for her liking, she trekked up the stairs at an incredible pace and slammed the door to her apartment just a violently as she'd flung it open. Regina then made it her soul purpose in life to take the most cleansing shower she could manage.

Thirty minutes later she emerged, scrubbed and smelling like a bag of wonderful beauty, but mostly her almond and honey body scrub, which worked wonders. Drying her hair took around five minutes and after she moved her party into her closet. Since she was only going to a festival she didn't want to dress too fancy, but not casual enough that she would blend in like a commoner, which she was not. So, she decided on a pair of dark wash denim shorts that were just barely long enough to call such, and a knit tank of white, yellow, green, and purple, and for the flare, a sky blue shawl cardigan that reached her mid-thigh. For shoes she went with her old pair of Birkenstock sandals, that she hadn't even looked at since college, but deemed appropriate to be going out with someone around that age.

"Oh god," Regina said as realization struck her like lightening between the eyes. "Is this a mid-life crisis?" She asked, but shook it off. She wasn't even thirty yet! After once-overing her self a final time she added a single coat of mascara and lip gloss, going for the natural look since she didn't really feel a need to over do it. Regina was passing by her mirror when she had second thoughts about her shoes. What if someone stepped on her toes? Nope, she shuddered and went back into the closet where she chose a pair of wedges, she was satisfied with this classy hooker look and after grabbing her purse, she was out the door once more, where she ran into Athena. The girl was clad in a white halter top, olive service coat, and high waisted shorts, Regina smiled.

"Are we cute?" She asked. Athena grinned, picking up her keys which she'd dropped in their collision.

"The cutest, and you smell great, bath and body works?" She asked.

"Yes, it's heaven, thank you. Shall we?" She asked, crooking her arm, which the girl slipped through as they headed towards the elevator. "So tell me, what did you do today?"

Athena groaned, which turned into a short laugh. "I had to drive around my sister all day, after school she had soccer then shopping for class events, which apparently required me taking her to eight different stores. All in good fun, and she paid for dinner."

"She's going to do great things in life." Regina said. "Sounds like fun, at least you keep busy."

"This is true. What about you?"

"I went to work, then was excused from work to have a personal day halfway in. It was nice, we went to see goats."

"Ooh, goats? I love it, super rustic."

Regina was already white-girl-wasted by the time the last set was being played. That's what four bottomless margaritas tend to do to a person. After the first she was already feeling the buzz, and decided it would be a good idea to get her date equally drunk, underage or not, and bought her two drinks that she 'had to finish.'

"I swear I'm not trying to get you drunk I just I just hate drinking alone. Unless I'm sad, but I am not!" Regina grinned, halfway through her third drink.

"What?" Athena blurted, her eyes focused on the band. "Oh my god! I know him! Yes, Regina, let's dance!" She suggested.

"Ah!" Regina squealed. "Heels! They, goodbye." She kicked off her wedges and took Athena's hand, pulling her into the crowd. The pair danced and laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of their actions for a good twenty minutes, then Regina fell. The sight in it's own was hilarious, and Athena couldn't help but laugh incredibly loud before attempting to help her up, but tripping over the woman's foot.

"We are a mess!" Regina cried, trying to speak over the music still blasting.

"I know! I'm, I can't, what is this? Foot!" She ogled over Regina's bare foot pressed against her thigh. Regina curled her toes into her leg, causing her to jump away at the tickling sensation. "No! No, no." She laughed. Regina smiled and stood, she followed the girl back to the table they'd left their cups and discarded shoes in Regina's case.

"I want beer, do you want beer?" Athena nodded and collapsed into the chair, almost tipping it over. "Ha! Okay, beer it is, dear. Ooh! I rhymed." She laughed and headed to the vendor of alcoholics, plucking two Corona's from the cooler, paying, and heading back to the table.

"Thank you." Athena drew out, taking the sweaty drink. Regina watched as she attempted to pop the cap off on the table, failing each time, but she did not look to be giving up anytime soon. She huffed and after one last attempt, threw the offender to the grass. Regina chuckled, opening hers with her teeth in one swift move. "What the heck?"

"Hand me yours." She said, the girl did so and Regina repeated the action. "You loosened it up, no worries." She winked.

"I am weak, my weakness." She slurred, swigging into the beer.

"What are those words?" Regina asked, furrowing her brows.

"Oh my God! Regina," The words lasted too long for Regina's liking. "Wait, I lost it."

"Let me know when it flies back in." Regina smiled.

Athena nodded and took a long drink before her eyes lit up. "Right! Driving, I can't do that." She shook her head.

"Oh, yeah." Regina whispered. "We can walk? No, far, where are you?"

"I'm here."

"No, where you, do you, you live?" Regina made out.

"Oh!" Athena laughed for a good minute. "Wow, I am, no. I live far, really far, by this factory. Dorms. Shitty."

"Hm." Regina contemplated, or tried. "Bus? No. I hate those, cab!"

"Ahha!" Athena pointed to the sky. "Yes, but my car? Precious car, too good for this world, too pure."

Regina did't answer as her eyes raked up the girl's form, her thighs toned and pale, the seemed to glow in the moonlight. Just under her tilted jawline, she had a freckle and Regina's intoxicated pupil's could not look away. Athena had let her head loll back as she took in the righteous wave of confusion that washed over her, but she popped back after a minute, or was it five? Only to see Regina blatantly staring at her and she flustered with an awkward grin.

"Do I look that drunk?" She asked.

"No, you are just very beautiful." Regina kneeled into the grass, her head resting on the thighs of her date, she nibbled on the skin that smelled of peaches and grass. Athena, on the other hand was trying not to giggle at the tickling sensation. "Alright?"

"Huh?" She laughed. "I'm yes, great. Ticklish, sorry." She stumbled, Regina stood with surprising grace and took her hand.

"Come with me." She whispered, and without direction led the girl back to her car, it only took a few minutes, and the certainly didn't remember that by the time they arrived.

Regina pushed the girl flush against the car, she had the height advantage and leaned down to take her lips within hers, where she bit and pulled. To Regina's great surprise, Athena pulled back.

"Regina, I can't." She said, her eyes wide and doe. "This isn't right."

"What do you mean?"

"It just feels wrong, I'm sorry." Athena admitted. "It's not- I don't know, is that okay?"

Regina was more surprised than upset. "You're right. I shouldn't have tried to take advantage." She straightened. "I am sorry, Athena." Regina said, not breaking eye contact.

Athena gave an apologetic smile and nodded, pulling out her phone, tucking a ringlet behind her ear as she attempted to type. Regina gave a small smile and took it from her, calling the cab company, a number which she had memorized by heart, she called for two cabs, they'd arrive within fifteen to thirty minutes. The women sat in silence as they waited, neither knowing quite what to say, or what to say that wouldn't add any further tension. Regina, though, didn't care at this point and prepped to ask the question she'd been waiting to since the moment she met the girl.

"Are you straight?" She asked. "Wait, that came out, just wrong, but I don't get the impression that you are interested in women."

Athena straightened up on the hood of her car and scrunched her nose in thought. "I don't." She admitted. "I just, thought I could or did."

"Why?"

"It kind of hit me that I've never had an orgasm, with the guys I'd been with, it was really pissing me off. So I thought that another woman would understand and be able to, give me that." She motioned with her hands. "It's fucking stupid, I don't even know why I called you, why I even had your number still, but I did. I don't even, don't even know."

"I see." Regina said, feeling bad for the girl, clearly confused and frustrated. "You could have just told me that to begin with. Save this," She sighed heavily. "complication and we could have resolved your issue quite simply."

"Not exactly the way I prefer starting my conversations." She laughed dryly.

"I had told you from the beginning I am not here to judge you, did you believe that?"

"I know you believed that." Athena answered, staring straight ahead.

"I did, because it's true." Regina stared at the girl's profile, waiting for her to look her way. "However, that wasn't my question."

"That was my answer, I didn't know what to believe I don't know why I called you, or went to your house, or told you all of this, I don't know why we're here right now!"

"Yes you do." Regina sighed. "These words you are saying have no meaning, I know that, so do you. Come on, we don't have endless time."

Athena looked at Regina a mix of defeat and fire in her eyes. "I believed you, I wanted to have mind blowing and kinky sex with you, I still do, but just that. Is that bad?"

Regina smirked in satisfaction. "That's wonderful. Because that I can do."

Upon her return, she found the house to be devoid of residents. Emma shrugged and headed straight up to the shower, sick of the smell that still lingered in her clothes, her hair, just everywhere. Peeling off her loose garments she turned on a cold spray, she'd picked up a habit of beginning her shower off cold and gradually turning the knob for the warmer as she went on. After a few long minutes of standing and swaying along with the ever steady pitter of the stream as it hit the porcelain of the tub, she heard the door slam, and was pulled from her trance, only now beginning the process of washing her hair and body.

Emma stepped out after a few minutes, the sway that once compelled her didn't take on the same affect as it previously had when she tried to fall under a second time. After having such a lovely day, she couldn't reason how her mood had fallen in solemn contempt just stepping foot in the house. She tried to shrug it off, but like a bad smell it was adamant to stick with her for however long it would. Slipping into a pair of navy and white cotton plaid shorts and a red, white, and black poncho hoodie that she had picked up at a flea market a few days prior with Lily, who got the same but in a yellow, green, and white mixture. Now comfortable, Emma debated whether or not to go downstairs, holding on to the golden knob fiercely. She laughed weakly and shook her head, she was being ridiculous, these people were her family, right?

Downstairs it was dark, artificial light was kept to a minimum as the last remnants on sunlight dripped in through the shutters. Emma followed the path to the kitchen, the apparent hotspot preferred by the clan, she found it to be empty, and the same results came when searching the entirety of the downstairs. Confused, she thought she must have been hearing things, until the floorboards above her creaked under the pressure of feet.

Emma sighed, and headed upstairs where she stood by the door to the master bedroom, her hand pressed against it as she decided against knocking, snooping was always a fun alternative! Muffled voices could be heard, and she recognized them as Mary and David, not knowing who else she expected, and they didn't sound entirely chipper.

"David, you can't be serious, I thought we were going to wait!" Came Mary Margret's scolding tone.

"Why would we wait? It'll never be easier." He said, sounding defeated. "Snow, you know that it's best to tell her, don't you trust her? It's not like she going to run away, she can't!"

"It's not her I don't trust David, it's us. Me." Her voice cracked. "I was her mother and I gave her up. Imagine what she must think of me, she'll hate me and I can't blame her, I can never make up for this."

"We gave her up." David assured. Emma stood by the door with furrowed brows, not knowing what to make of the situation unfolding before her. Sure she could read between the lines, but what she was inferring seemed to far fetched, she didn't want to stick around to catch the outcome.

Running probably wasn't the best idea, but it was the only one that made sense, she wasn't ready to have the conversation that would await if her inferences proved true. Emma tiptoed to her room and snatched up her bag, filling it with clothing for the night and next day, quickly shoving it in and zipping it shut, rather violently in her haste. She felt a looming presence before she could even turn around, when she did she saw Mary, leaning against the doorway with red rimmed eyes, her face hardly visible through the dark, and the only light lay behind her in the hall.

"Where you going?" She asked weakly.

Emma's eyes widened slightly but she realized she had a slight upper hand, not that she was going to play it against the woman, her mother? "I am going to go to Lily's." She said quietly. "No drugs this time." She said.

A small fight lit up the woman's eyes and as she opened her mouth the detest, she nodded instead. "Okay." She agreed. "Need a ride?"

Emma shook her head, the thought of a car ride with the brunette sounded just as appealing as eating a roadkill pigeon with a side of tartar sauce. "No thanks, I can, um," She fixed her hair behind her ear. "walk, it's a nice evening." She choked out.

"Emma," She began, she could tell something was up and she knew exactly what. So the truth comes out after all. "I'm sorry."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Emma brushed past her and tried her best not to bolt down the stairs, but the house was suffocating her, her lungs felt about to implode and as she flung open the door she broke into a dead sprint. The chill of the air had intensified with the growing, and now almost complete darkness, and it nipped at her bare legs, reddened her cheeks. Not that she minded, the bite of the cold seemed to be bringing her new life and perspective, forgotten was her life of misery, her self loathing. Somehow in this moment she had reached a point of extreme clarity, she realized that this was her life, and she could start over, she wouldn't be that orphan girl who everyone pitied. Pitied for something that she had no say in, pitied for something that was out of her control, and pitied for a title that she didn't want, the title that was embroidered into her skin, until now.

Now, she could be Emma, and with this new sense of self she could do whatever she wanted with this title, she was a blank slate.

After almost getting run over in her haste, she reached Lily's house, and knocked loudly in no apparent patter. A minute later, it crept open to reveal the girl herself, who wore a frown until she recognized her friend and swung the door open to reveal herself in her poncho and a pair of spandex.

"Look at us, fucking soul mates." She said proudly and moved aside so Emma could enter. "What's up? You look like a cherry." She pinched Emma's cheek, Emma huffed.

"I ran here. Felt nice." She said the last bit with a bit of an exasperated sigh.

"Sounds fun, so I have news." Lily began. "Did you get my text?" Emma just looked confused. "Come on, I messaged you like seven times!"

"I'm sorry! I was busy, I don't even think my phone is charged." Emma pat her pocket, to find her cellular not in such place. "Okay, well, whatever, tell me!"

"Ugh!" She let out. "So my freaking mother has been having visions about an old friend of hers, and she thinks she in some kind of 'peril' and I haven't seen her all day."

"Does she do this often?"

"Enough that to the point where I'm no longer surprised, but she's never just disappeared on my like this, I've called her like, fucking thirty times, and nothing."

"So you don't know where she went?" Emma asked, not surprised, Mal was, a character, to say the least.

Lily ran her fingers through her hair, which hung loose. "Some festival, I don't know, it's downtown." She thought about it. "Maybe we can get there."

As the others, the specter came as soon as it was gone with hardly enough time to make out what was happening, but she understood. Mal came back to the lucid world and took a sip of her tea, it helped to appease her, she wanted to ignore this, but she knew she couldn't. Having the visions was her gift and with this gift came the responsibility to help those who needed it. And now, that her friend was in true danger she couldn't sit back and let the opportunity to change fate slip through her grasp as it had before.

So, she stood and walked in soul determination up the stairs to Lily's room, where she was just getting ready to wake for the day.

"Lilith." She said gravely, with a hint of fear. The girl stirred and turned away from her. "Lily. I need to go. A-a friend of mine is in great danger and I am going to help this time." She told, before kissing her child on the temple.


	13. Chapter 13

_I am really lame for this but I don't really know what else to do. So, here I am, making a journal about unrequited love. Gag me with a spoon._

_So, I feel like I should be formal, here goes._

_My name is Emma Swan, I am sixteen years old, I like in Philadelphia, which is in Pennsylvania, and I don't understand life in any way shape or form. That may sound like I'm blowing up my perspective but I am so serious. Ever since I could form a coherent thought my life has been one big question with little to no answers. An ever expanding list that just keeps getting longer, soon I feel like I'm just going to explode. I wish I could answer my own questions, that would make things so much easier and I probably wouldn't be so fucked up._

_God, I am SO fucked up, it's almost funny. My life doesn't even seem real. If I walked up to some random stranger and told them my life story they might think I'm lying, or reading a script to a sappy interpretation. It is funny, it really is._

_Well, I'm drawing this out, I'm thinking too much I forget that this isn't a conversation, no one is going to read this and I don't have to make any sense if I don't want to. Fuck it, I think I found my real parents. Oh my god, it really hurts me to say that because I don't know what to do with the information. Am I happy? Of course, but that's not the emotion that sticks out the most. It's anger, fear, sadness. I can't even choose, they're all there, and spiraling out of control. I hate feeling, emotions, all of it I wish I could shut it off I don't need this, I don't deserve this._

_Anger, yeah, I'm angry that they gave me up and I'm angry they're hiding it, how long have they known? This is so crazy, how did I just run up to a random building and there she is, my mother. My mother who I've cried about and wondered about my whole entire life. It was easier to think that she was dead, because at least then I knew she wasn't off living without me, and I was here, or wherever I was, living without love, real love. I'm angry now, too. She has two more kids. One of them isn't much younger than me, so that means that he was good enough and I wasn't? That hurts, that hurts so much how could she? Isn't a mother supposed to sacrifice her happiness for her child because she loves them? Ha, what do I know about mothers? Nothing, nothing._

_Nothing._

_I'm afraid of what will happen when they tell me, will things change? I've also been lying to them, about Regina, about Lily, and I haven't even been here long enough to run out of conditioner. I can't escape it, I'm prone to a life of misery._

_God, I am so sad. I'm sad because now that I found them, they love me, and I don't think I can love them. How could I? They gave me up and no amount of anything could make up for that. I wish it could. I guess it could. I don't know, I don't know what I want. I don't want to forgive them, but I don't want them to think I won't because what if they send me away? They adopted me but I would send me away, I've fucked up three times over since I got here and they're so perfect, how are we related? But if I forgive them it's like they never did anything wrong and there's no justice! They don't get to get off on my misery and receive no punishment. Not that I could punish them in any physcial or legal way, but I have them wrapped around my finger in an emotional aspect._

_They think I'm getting better, sending me to therapy like it's going to do anything except victimize me and make me feel like an outcast. No one else is in therapy! They want me to fit in and be like other kids but they send me to a shrink and then, THEN they take away my only friend! Lily, she's crazy, though. There's something about her that makes me feel less like a fuck up and more like a person, a kid, because she's almost as screwed as me. I love her, she gets me, or at least the me that she knows._

_The me that she knows. That says a lot more than I wish it did. Now, I think the whole idea of 'oh she builds up walls to keep people out' is a bunch of bullshit, because it's more like a mask. I wear a mask, it's probably a barbie doll or some kind of cliche teen who gets fucked dirty and drinks her liver into a new body. That's not me, but I can't say that either because who am I anyway, I'm here then I'm there, the only time I feel like a part of the world is when I'm with Regina._

_She's a whole new ball game. I don't know where to start, I could go for days. I'm in love with her. I think love is gross and scary and I don't want it. Well, I didn't want it, not like this. I wanted to be part of a family, that love, but I hated the kind of love that came with sex and romance because I didn't think it existed. Just a sham to get people to marry and have kids so the government could divide sovereignty over them. No, it's real and now that I found it I don't want to give it up._

_But, I do, because she'll never love me. The first time I saw her it was like the world stopped and she was there, and that was it. Everyone else melted into the back, I felt warm, and my ears got fuzzy. I know it wasn't just me, because if it was she would have looked away. But she didn't, even when I did, she kept staring and looking at me, into my soul like she just knew all the horrors that dwelled within and she wanted to see them._

_It was the most intensely wonderful moment of my life, I wish I could go back in time and relive it over and over again because it was that great. But now, I don't know what we have. I think she hates me, or just thinks I'm a stupid kid who's broken and needs fixing. I do, but I want her in a way that she'll never want me. She has to know, of course she does, she's smart and beautiful and I make it too obvious. If I blush one more time in her presence I will lose my mind, it's not cute, Emma, you need to stop._

_Everything she does is magical, really. She could break my arm, or shoot me in the shoulder and I would still think she could do no wrong. She can't. I wish she felt the same. I wish she was with me, even if it's only for a day. I love to be with her, even as a patient, she makes me feel special, and she's so weird. So weird and dorky and cute, ew! GOD I HATE HER, REGINA I HATE YOU AND I WISH YOU DIDN'T EXIST BECAUSE YOU'RE SO PERFECT AND I CAN NEVER HAVE YOU AND NO. No, just no, but still yes. She's such a freaking weirdo and I love it, it only makes me love her more. I'm so pathetic, I can't believe this is my life. But it is and I just-"_

"Emma." Lily swung on the doorway and into the room where Emma was buried into a composition book.

"Ah, what!" Emma sat bolt upright and slammed it shut. Lily smirked and jumped onto the bed beside her, reaching for the book and Emma yanked it away. "No, Lily please."

"Why? What is it?" Lily asked, slinking back.

"It's just something I needed to write before I exploded into a million pieces, please, just don't ask. I'll tell you when I'm ready." Emma rubbed her shoulder blade as Lily sighed.

"Okay, no biggie. So, you hungry? My mom left the keys to her Saturn and we could go get something." Lily twirled Emma's hair on her thumb.

"Um," Emma didn't see she was blushing, but Lily did. "Yeah, I yeah, we could go get some pizza or whatever you like."

"How about we go to Auror, it's a really fancy place that serves, like, Greek food or something, I don't know. I went there with Belle once and it was great. We could insult them by wearing our pajamas." She raised her brow, gesturing to her checkered black and white cotton bottoms and gray zip up hoodie.

Emma chuckled before stretching out to touch her toes. "Alright, let's go."

"Yes!" Lily hopped off the bed into a pair of Zebra print slippers, tossing Emma's converse at her.

Mal's eyes were focused on the road ahead as she drove like a bat out of hell towards the grounds in question. She couldn't remember the name, but she knew where she was going. Regina, she had to find Regina before she- she.

"Fuck." Mal floored the gas, her engine roared and she swerved around the cars around her before turning off on exit 78.

"I am never drinking again." Athena groaned, throwing up onto the pavement as Regina rubbed her back.

"Funny, I said that after halloween my sophmore year, first time I ever got sick and called the girl that I liked and told her how I felt. Yeah, she was straight."

Athena choked out a laugh before spitting. "That's great, the same thing happened with every guy I liked in high-" Just as she was wiping her mouth, screams could be heard followed by a loud shot. "Was that a gunshot?" Regina nodded her head, as if she could ever forget that sound. She was about to speak again when another shot sounded just behind them, followed by a scream from the girl beside her. Regina's eyes opened wide as she saw the girl clutching her stomach, falling to the ground. Footsteps retreated loudly as morw shots and screams could be heard in the distance, but they weren't all that far away.

Regina saw the wound, saw the blood staining the girl's shirt, there was so much blood, so much and it was coming so fast. "I don't know what to do. I don't know, I- I- oh my God."

Regina put her hand to the source, she took off her shawl and pressed it over, she thought that would help, the pressure. The girl remained silent aside from small cries.

"This- hurts- so much- worse than I thought-t it w-would." She choked out, Regina shused her. "Oh my god, Regina I'm going to die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die."

"Stop it! I'm not going to let you die." Regina cried.

"No, I can't feel my legs, my face, my-" She faded a bit. "Why is it so fucking hot? Ah," A tear fell down her face. "I don't want to die here."

Regina looked around aimlessly as she saw headlights, and she tensed when the car stopped next to her, the engine didn't stop but the door flew open. The woma who emerged had a face she could never forget. "Mal?"

Mal didn't reply as she rushed down to the bleeding girl. "We need to get her to the hospital, help me." Regina nodded and they lifted Athena up and into the back seat of the car, Regina sat in back to keep pressure on the would. Mal slammed the door before jumping behind the wheel and rushing off.

"What's going on, Mal? What are you doing here?" Regina's voice sounded weak, weaker than it had in so long.

"I saw you." She said, making a sharp left.

"What the fuck does that mean? Where do you get off disappearing for over a decade and then coming back like you're some kind of fucking hero? Huh, what the fuck is this?"

"Regina, dear, kindly shut up until we get this bleeding child out of my car. I'm stressed out enough and your noise isn't helping any."

If Regina wasn't the only thing keeping Athena alive, she would reach up and hit Mal, hit her for all she'd done, all the pain she'd caused her. It wasn't too long after that they were outside the front of the emergency room, Mal rushed out to the door and together they pulled the girl out and inside the glass door.

"Help!" A nurse rushed to them, followed by another with a wheelchair. "She was shot, we kept pressure on the wound but she clearly lost a lot of blood." Her shirt, once white, was now a deep red in most if not all places.

"Stay here, we need to fill out an incident report." The nurse in purple scrubs said, running after the others as Regina nodded and took a seat in the uncomfortable chairs that seemed to be traditon. She looked up with teary, bloodshot eyes, at Mal, who stood with her arms crossed and tapping her boot clad toe.

"Stop staring, it makes me twitch." She said, not looking over to the brunette.

"Fuck you."

"Hm. You're very repetetive, very unlike you."

"You don't know me, not anymore." Regina growled.

"Oh, that's where we would have to disagree. I know you very well." Mal sighned and turned to face the woman who had her head in her hands.

"You're so smug, stop it. It's pissing me off and I'm already having a-" Her voice broke and she inhaled sharply. "A very bad day."

"Mm." Mal grunted, sitting beside Regina and crossing her legs. "Tell me about the girl."

"Athena?" Regina ground out, sighing once she saw that she wouldn't get anywhere arguing with the blonde. "She's a very nice girl, we went out a couple of times, she was confused about her sexuality and-"

"No, not that girl. Emma."

"Emma, uh, how do you know Emma?"

"I see her in you." Mal replied. "And she is friends with my daughter."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes, Lilith."

"Yes, I've heard about her. She brought Emma to a party and left her, drunk as ever in the grass." Regina told.

"Yes, Lily is a mess of a girl. Guess that I'm to blame for that." Mal let out.

"I guess so." The nurse returned with the report and told Regina to fill it out, she didn't say anything about the condition of her date as she rushed off. There was blood on her clothes. Regina filled out the report and left it on the seat as she stood. "Let's go. I don't want to stay."

Mal raised her brow before following suit, adjusting her dress and heading out. Regina looped her arm through her old friend's as they made way to the car.

"Hold on." Mal said as she pulled out a vial from her glove box. She took the purple powder in onto her long black nail and put it to her nose before inhaling. She sniffed once before closing the vial and placing it back into it's place. Regina looked disgusted.

"What the fuck? What was that?" She asked.

"Not sure." Mal replied. "But I like it."

"This is who you are now? A drugged up Stevie Nicks look alike?"

"Something like that." She started up the car and pulled out. "I'm safe to drive, just so you don't ask." Regina opened her mouth. "Please, don't say anything else until we get home."

Regina wanted to argue, and tell her that she wanted to go home, that she didn't want to look at Mal any longer, but she didn't.

"Emma." Mal said.

"Yes." Regina replied.

"She loves you." Mal went on.

Regina sighed. "I thought you didn't want to talk."

"Not if you were going to scold me." Mal chuckled. "I missed you. Despite popular belief, you missed me, too."

"I did." Regina nodded. "Where have you been?"

"Maine, once I found out I was pregnant I just couldn't stay."

"Oh, and she's okay?"

"No, my daughter is a mess. Her life is like a tornado, I hoped that her lady Belle would help steer her clear of disaster, but seems I was wrong."

"I'm sorry."

"Everyone has to learn somehow."

"Okay."

Emma and Lily ordered a platter of foods they couldn't pronouce and even flirted their way into a bottle of champagne. Now, halfway through they were both a bubbly as the drink and laughing like what they were doing wasn't illegal. Emma had just thrown a piece of meat at Lily when the girl's phone rang.

"Hello?" Lily answered. "Wow, nice of you to call. No, no, I just thought you were dead is all. I know. Okay. Yeah, she is. Mhm. Bye." Lily rubbed over her face.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, swallowing.

"My mom, she just got home. Wants us back with her car as soon as possible."

"Well we can finish our food first."

"Let's just go, I doubt we can afford this anyway."

"Lily, what?" Emma started to panic. "No, that's illegal!"

"Exactly, it's fun. Okay, come on." Lily jumped up from the table and ran out of the building, Emma following close behind. Once in the car, they were noth breathing heavily, Lily was laughing but Emma wasn't. "Don't be a buzzkill." She said, punching the blonde and zipping out of the lot.

"I'm not, I just don't need to get arrested." She said, buckling up.

"Well, that's not going to happen." Lily replied.

"Maybe not today, but if we keep this up something is bound to happen."

"Yeah, okay." Lily replied. They drove in silence and before too long were back where they started. Emma and Lily skipped to the front door and opened it, not too long after they were attacked by the overwhelming scent of inscense and that horrible tea. "Mom!"

"Kitchen." Mal's voice came, Lily and Emma followed it. They flooded into the room to see Mal, puffing on something they couldn't identify, and a woman they didn't know poured over the table.

"Who's the chick?" Lily asked, gesturing toward the woman.

"Regina." Mal told, blowing out smoke. "She's had a day."

"Huh. So that's what you disappear for?"

"Yes."

"Why?

"I don't need to explain myself to you, Lilith, now if you can't be civil, go upstairs. You're giving me a headache." Lily muttered somehting under her breath and pushed out of the room, Emma turned to follow her. "Emma." Emma turned around.

"Uh, sorry, my parent's were being-"

"No, I don't mind you being here. I just want you to talk to Regina."

Emma's throat closed. "Why?"

"You know eachother, don't you?"

"I don't know, I know a Regina but, not this Regina."

"Hm, okay." Mal replied.

"So what?" Emma asked.

"Nothing, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

Emma scrunched her nose and nodded. "Okay, goodnight?"

"Indeed." Mal replied, sipping her tea.

Emma nodded once more before heading out of the room, and up the stairs.

"I never thought you the shy type, Regina." Mal chuckled.

"I'm not. I'm not in the mood for this." Came her muffled voice. "I'm her consoler, she can't see me like this, I will never be able to help her."

"Really?"

"Really." Regina replied.

"Mm. Okay, tea?" Mal offered.

"Is it drugged?" Regina looked up.

"Yes." Mal replied. "I also have juice."

"Tea." Regina replied.


	14. Chapter 14

The sun was bleeding in through the shades, too bright. Emma groaned and rolled over, only to hit the body next to her and roll right back to where she started. A bony finger slid out from under the covers and found the home button to the phone that was charging beside her curls. The screen lit up and if Emma wasn't awake before, she was as soon as she read the time.

9:30

She was two and a half hours late to school, her eyes went wide and she pulled her hair up into a bun. Shit, shit, shit. She repeated in her mind, shaking Lily so hard she could have gotten whiplash.

"What? Stop!" The girl groaned, turning over.

"Dude, it's after nine, we're so late!"

"So?" Lily muttered.

"So, I'm screwed if my parents find out that I ditched and they already hate me, and my aunt is the principal so they probably already know!" Emma carried on, heart racing.

"Stop." Lily deadpanned, not turning up to face her befuddled friend. "Call them and say you got sick, we ate some bad seafood, or something."

"That's not going to work, I sound fine." Emma rejected the idea.

"I am about to punch you in the stomach, figure it out."

"Why am I even friends with you!" She bounced off the bed and into the bathroom where she brushed her teeth and washed her face before heading downstairs.

The house had a weird vibe during the day, Emma shivered as she wandered into the kitchen, jumping back as a figure stood by the stove, back to her. Her hair was dark, and oddly familiar. Emma cleared her throat and the woman whipped around, Emma's previous suspicions were confirmed when she saw that this Regina, was indeed her Regina.

"Oh." Was all she said.

"Emma, how are you?" She asked, an awkward tension filling the space between them. Emma crossed her arms to cover her chest, it was cold and she wasn't wearing a bra.

"I.. good." She nodded. "What are you doing here?"

"Mal is, an old friend." She answered. "Or something."

"Did you fuck her?" Emma asked, regretting it a second later.

"What, Emma! That's quite the assumption." Regina was taken aback.

"I know, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be allowed freedom of speech in the morning." Emma said quickly, looking around the room, anywhere but at Regina. "This is weird."

"Uh, juice?" Regina asked, holding up a cartoon of mango juice, the label was in a different language.

"Is it safe?" Emma asked, never again will she be too quick to trust anything in Mal's kitchen.

Regina chuckled. "I am pretty sure. Why do you ask?"

"Last time I drank something that Mal made me, well, I don't know how to finish that sentence considering I don't remember what happened."

"The drug tea." Regina answered.

"That was not a fun time." Emma laughed. "I still have dreams."

"Weak." Was all Regina said, as she poured Emma a mug full of juice and passed it to her.

"Thanks." She said and took a drink. "Is that blood?"

Regina's heart rate picked up, her throat went dry, her fingers tingled, as she looked down at her clothing, still caked in blood that began to brown. "It's, not mine." She whispered.

Emma moved closer and took the fabric between her fingers, and twirled it. "It looks cool." She said. "Do you want it still?"

Regina wasn't sure whether she should laugh at the request or scold the girl for the question, but she couldn't bring herself to do either. "No."

"Can I have it?"

"What will you say when someone asks who's blood it is?"

"'It's not mine'" Emma smirked, repeating the words Regina said. "Or I could say 'your first born child's' but that would be a bit much, even for me."

"I suppose it would." Regina replied, holding her gaze a bit too long.

Emma smiled warmly as she met the stare. "Well, don't wash it."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Regina replied, looking over to the stove where a kettle sung. "Why didn't you ask what happened?" She asked, turning the burner down.

"You don't look like you want to talk about it." Emma shrugged. "Am I right?"

"I don't know." Regina answered.

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Want to talk about it?" Emma chuckled at her forgetfulness.

"I don't know." Regina answered honestly. "I'm not really sure what happened."

"Well, if you want to, I love a good horror story."

"Emma." Regina whispered, leaning into the counter to balance herself. "I uh, did some research on zodiac signs."

Emma broke out in a grin. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, I told you I was a cancer." Regina sighed.

"Are you?" Emma replied.

"No," Regina laughed. "I- I'm not, I lied, I was born in January."

"So why did you say cancer?"

"It was the only sign I knew." She replied.

"So what are you?"

"Aquarius."

"I knew we were compatible." Emma smirked.

"Of course." Regina replied. "And apparently I am an alien who has no emotions."

"Well, all stereotypes have to come from somewhere."

"I am not an alien." Regina crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry I do not compute." Emma replied, finishing off her juice, and moving to refill the mug shaped like a tree.

"Why aren't you at school?" Regina asked.

"Why aren't you at work?"

"Took the day off, your move."

"Didn't wake up on time." Emma crossed her arms.

Regina rummaged through the cupboards before she finally found something that suited her needs. A huge bottle of moonshine. "Don't say a word." She said.

"My lips are sealed." Emma replied. "A bit early, don't you think?"

"Emma, I do what I want when I want to do it, that's the beautiful thing about getting old." Regina preached, pouring herself an actual glass of the stuff, Emma quirked a brow. "No, judging."

"You're going to die if you drink that." She deadpanned.

"I'm going to die anyway." Regina replied sardonically.

"Point taken, but the question is are you going to share?" Emma slid her mug over.

Regina looked at the ceramic tree before humming. "What has my life become, I am about to drink at ten in the morning with a sixteen year old girl who I'm supposed to be shrinking." She unscrewed the cap and poured a good amount into the mug.

"Well, life's a bitch." Emma answered, holding up her mug for a cheers. The glasses clinked and they both downed the alcohol, only Emma cringing at the taste when it first hit her buds. Regina, had her share once the glass was empty and her throat was burning.

"We only drink more if you promise me something." Regina began, Emma nodded. "This never happened."

"But it did."

"Emma."

"Regina." Emma laughed when Regina glared at her. "I'm kidding, okay, what happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen." She traced her cup with a slender finger.

"Can it be the living room, because I really want to sit on that couch, it makes me feel like a queen." Regina said confidently, sticking her nose into the air.

"Only if I get to cuddle with you." Emma said.

"Deal, but later I am doing your nails!" Regina replied, hopping off the counter and bringing the jug with her. "Onward!" Emma stood and followed to the dark living room where Regina turned on the flat screen, only to find out that there was no cable attachment. "This is bull!" She saw a record player and set it on, it began to play Deptford Goth. "Yes!" She then collapsed onto the couch and took a swoosh of the drink she held. Emma was staring at the wall when she patted the couch between her legs. "I thought we were cuddling, Princess Emma?"

Emma smiled. "Of course, I was just admiring this wall."

"I'm prettier than the wall."

"I know."

"So get over here!" Regina laughed and Emma hopped on the couch and was pulled into Regina's lap, her head on her chest, and the rest of her between her legs. Regina began to twirl her hair through her fingers and hum along to the music. Before too long, she pulled a blanket over them that covered all of Emma aside from her nose and up. Regina took continuous sips from the jug as Emma just sat and enjoyed their warm silence.

"Do you have any tattoos?" Emma asked.

"Hm, yes, on my foot I have a horse."

"Why?"

"I don't even know." Regina laughed, Emma could hear it rise up, she smiled.

"I can hear your heartbeat." Emma nuzzled into her skin.

"Nice to know I'm alive."

"If you weren't you wouldn't know anything." Emma replied.

"Wouldn't I?" Regina went on.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"Well, no one knows what happens and where we go after our mortal sentence. They say energy can't be created or destroyed so what happens to us? We are energy."

"So that lightbulb is being fueled by a dead guy?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I don't know, do you?"

"Well, I asked you, you're the smart one." Emma replied. "Sorry I drooled on you."

"It's okay, drool away, it's just water. But you don't think you're smart?"

Emma laughed. "Not as smart as you."

"You're very smart." Regina answered.

"Okay." Emma smiled. "Tell me a story."

"About?"

"About you." Emma answered. "Something you've never told me."

"Okay, well when I was ten I thought that dragonflies were spies. I would go down to the creek beside our house and try to catch them to prove that they were robots sent down to watch us change and gather intel to report back to men wearing black suits about how I was flat chested and didn't do my homework, or spit in the soup."

"You spit in the soup?"

"Yes, it was quite the scandal." Regina answered.

"What's the worst thing that has ever happened to you." Regina swallowed, Emma could hear her heart start to beat faster and harder. "I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me."

"No, I want to, but you have to promise me you won't tell."

"I promise."

"Okay." Regina's eye filled with tears, so she closed them. "My mother, she was- she was not a good woman. It wasn't the worst thing in the world when she would tie me up naked and take pictures to sell, and feed her.. addiction. No, the worst part of it was when she made me watch. She made sure that I had no choice but to look as she fucked them, the women would always scream and the men, they cried. I'm I- am not making sense I'm sorry."

"What did she do to them?"

"She got off on power. She would pick them, get to know them before she actually got close, and I don't know how or why but she would bring them back to our home, she never drugged them, she wanted them to feel the pain she would inflict. I guess you could say she raped them, but it was so much worse than that. It was personal, I can't explain it right now because I am, I'm fucking drunk, but she would make them cry and beg for death before she even touched them. She ruined it, sex, with my father, she would take him against his will, she would beat him. People think," She laughed rigidly. "people think that abuse is only inflicted on woman, but it's not, god she would hurt him, make a grown man cry. I hated her, I feared for my life around her. My father told me, I could never trust anyone, except for myself. He told me that, that-the-the day he killed her. He killed her, and then he killed himself." Regina inhaled shakily, Emma wrapped her arms around the woman and squeezed her, Regina gripped her hair tight but it didn't hurt. "I wish I could say that it didn't matter, that I moved on and didn't let any of it shadow me. I can't, though, because out of it, my biggest secret was born. I'm so embarrassed, it's, I don't, it's there."

"I'm sorry." Emma said.

"It's okay. I'm sorry for talking without making any sense."

"You made sense."

"No I didn't I don't even remember what I said, Emma." Regina laughed heartily. "God, what? What in the world is this? What am I? Why?"

"Regina stop, are you okay?"

"Emma, help me, please." Regina cried, Emma sat up.

"Are you sick?"

"No, please, please stay with me." She pleaded, and tried to pull Emma back down onto her, Emma lowered herself down and wrapped her hands around Regina's neck, head just under her collarbone. "Thank you." Emma nodded and closed her eyes. Every now and then Regina would sniff, and it was the beat of her hear that reminded Emma she was still there, still real.

"Emma?" Regina whispered.

"Hm?" Emma mumbled.

"Do you love me?" She asked. "Like not as a friend or crazy aunt, but do you love me?"

"I know if you were sober you would not want to know the answer to that question." Emma replied the only answer that made sense. But did it really?

"Ew, that old coot is such a bitch." Regina chuckled lazily. "Please, she won't know."

"Regina." Emma sighed.

"Emma please, please tell me, please, I just need to know that I'm not gone."

"Gone?" Emma asked.

"Emma do you love me?" Regina asked in a serious tone, and Emma was reminded who she was talking to.

"I want to say no." She replied.

"But do you mean no?" Regina pressed.

"No."

"So you do?"

"Stop!" Emma cried, a tear streaming down her face. "Stop, please stop, okay? It's your fault I can't say yes and you know it, because if I say yes then you'll wake up later and it'll be you and you'll say how wrong it is and then you'll never talk to me again and I can't live with that. I can't lose you. Not like that." Emma claimed. "Don't make me lose you."

"But I love you." Regina replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"How?"

"I just do."

"What happens in the living room stays in the living room." Emma assured.

"Cross my heart."

"Okay." Emma replied. "I'm going to take a nap now."

"No, no, please don't, because I think I'm going to throw up soon."

Emma shot up so she was straddling Regina. "Really?" Regina turned green as she nodded, Emma jumped up and took her hand, pulling her into the bathroom that she knew was to the right on the kitchen hallway. Regina just barely made it to the toilet as she retched, spilling a bit onto the purple tiles beneath her bare knees. Emma used the extra hair tie she had to tie up her hair and went to go get some water. When she returned, Regina was lying with her eyes closed, head resting on her arm across the bowl.

"Will you turn off the lights?" She muttered. Emma did so and sat on the counter. "I'm sorry." Regina said.

"Me, too." Emma answered.


	15. Chapter 15

"Nathan Range Memorial?" A deep voice answered the line.

"Hello, my name is Regina Mills and I'm calling for a woman named Athena who was admitted yesterday with a gunshot wound."

"Hold on." He said. Regina bit her lip, she'd been dreading this call all day but what kind of person would she be if she didn't at least call? "She's not accepting calls, ma'am."

"Fuck, well what room is she in? Could I come see her?" Regina pinched her bridge.

"Sorry, her family isn't allowing for that, I could send your regards if you wish." His voice picked up a bit of a sympathetic undertone.

"Yes, Regina Mills, thank you." Regina replied, hanging up.

The shooting at the festival had made all the papers, it's motive as well as the offenders remained unknown. With three dead and over twenty injured, not just from shots fired but from brutality among victims in a haste to escape or just mayhem for the sake of mayhem, this was not something authorities would be taking lightly.

However, Regina could care less about it, she was fine and know she knew her date was at least alive and with her family. All is well in her book, oh, all except for the fact that she woke up three inches away from a bowl of vomit feeling like the personification of death. Regina wasn't exactly sure how she had ended up in the bathroom as she hardly drank enough to sedate her on a normal day, but then she remembered that nearly everything in Mal's house was grade A strength and she was now sure that whatever she drank was closer to dragon's blood than alcohol. Not that it mattered, what did matter was the fact that her intoxicated state had caused her to open up to Emma, tell her one of the secrets that she never shared with anyone, and now, now the girl was gone.

Regina had searched the house, only to find it void of the girl she sought out, she called her cell, but there was no answer.

"Maybe it's for the best." She muttered into the fur of a very fat cat, who just leaned in to the touch.

"Emma Swan!" Mary Margret scolded exactly 3.5 seconds after the girl came into the house. It smelled of cinnamon, likely from the candle that burned in the dim kitchen. Emma was soaking wet, as the second she ran out of Lily's house, she'd been hit by daggers of water falling recklessly from the sky. Only a few hundred yards out had she become soaked down to the bone, so b the time she waltzed into her home, she was no less than melting into the mudroom.

"Uh." Was all Emma could say before her hand was grabbed and yanked in the direction of the downstair's bathroom. Mary Margret was mumbled but not coherently, so the girl ignored her.

"Kathryn called, said you weren't at school?" Mary Margret accused once Emma was planted into the porcelain tub.

"Yeah I-"

"Just where do you think you get off leaving without explanation, then not showing up to school? Do you know how worried we were? I- I mean you could have been dead Emma, and we would never know!" Mary Margret let out a long sign. "I just don't understand how-"

"Stop!" Emma interupted. "Oh my god, just shut up okay?"

Mary Margret clenched her fist and shook her head. "Excuse me?"

Emma raked her nails over her damp skin. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, I just can't take your carrying on right now." She told. "I'm sorry, really." She look sympathetic.

"Mm. So where were you?" She asked, crossing her arms over her cardigan clad chest.

"I was at Lily's, we went out for dinner last night and must have gotten food poisoning, because we were both throwing up this morning."

"Food poisoning doesn't just last an hour, Emma."

Emma sighed. "Okay, well, it happened. Ask her."

Mary Margret stormed out of the room in a huff, Emma wanted to laugh but bit her tongue. David sat across from her and sighed. "What's up, kid?" Emma rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, she's just being really loud right now and I'd rather her be super pissed and quiet than just pissed and loud."

"Look, I know you've been through the mill but you don't have any type of right to speak to her like that. She- we just want to help you, and you're not making it easy." He let out.

Emma took in the information, she knew that he was right and she was most definitely wrong, but there was no way in hell she'd admit it, so she stayed silent. David stared her down, but when the girl refused to meet his eyes, he stood, shaking the table a bit. Emma sat at a loss for a while as the drops pelted the glass before retiring upstairs to her room.

It was dark, the only light seeped in between the shutters, orange. A streetlight. Plopping down on the bed, she could care less of her damp clothes and hair dirtying up the white comforter, she pulled out her phone.

One Missed Call.

Displayed across the screen, she hit the icon and saw it was from Regina. The blonde hovered a moment over the name, unsure if it was a good idea to return the call. However, she was feeling weak and allowed for the pad to make contact, the screen reacting immediately as she moved the device up to her ear. Only five rings later did static sound momentarily before a voice came though.

"Hello?" Regina sounded.

"Hey, you called?" Emma asked.

"Yes, how are you?"

Emma sighed. "The old ones are not very pleased with me."

"I can imagine, are you okay? I can come to get you if you want."

"No, I just," She ran a hand over her face and sniffled. "need to apologize. I was rude to them, but I don't know, you know?"

"No, I don't." Regina replied. "You can tell me."

"I keep lying to them, I don't know why." Emma replied. "So I keep getting in trouble, because I'm a really bad liar."

"You don't know why?" Regina asked.

"That's what I said."

"Hm." Regina hummed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing, you did say you were a bad liar." She answered.

"What? No, you know, I don't need this from you, you're supposed to be there for me." Emma bit back.

"Emma, I am, but I want to help you-"

"And the truth will set me free?" Emma felt her throat close.

"No, why would I say that?" Regina questioned. "Emma, please, I know you're hurting right now but you need to let them help you, this isn't like before."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Emma said into the line, growing angry.

"Don't I? You can't fool me, I know you."

"You're so pretentious! You think you know me? Yeah, well you don't! You don't know anything about anything, and I- I just wish you could just be my friend for five fucking seconds instead of trying to shrink me."

"I'm sorry." Regina replied.

"Whatever." Emma answered then hung up.

"Emma?" Regina spoke into the phone, but the dial tone was all that answered. "Brat." She muttered and stood from her spot on Mal's couch. Regina moved to the kitchen where Mal and Lily sat, the latter pouring over Chinese take-out and Netflix streaming on her phone.

"Hungry?" Mal asked, Regina shook her head and pulled her purse off of the seat that Lily occupied.

"No, I actually should get going." She replied.

"Let me drive you."

"No it's fine I can just take the bus." Regina answered, Mal just laughed and stood, grabbing her keys on the way up.

"That's funny." She said and ran her fingers through Lily's hair. "I'll be back, you will be fine?" She asked, Lily nodded and grunted a reply, then they were out the door.

18 years prior

Regina was at a loss, she wasn't sure what to do, who to go to. Everything seemed like it was falling apart at the seams, and it was. It was. Mal was gone, her parents were dead. Yes, dead. She tried to call her, everyone, but no one was picking up. It was like she was all alone in the world and it was all against her. Regina went to the only place she felt safe; her school.

It wasn't like in the movies, there was no mood weather, no rain or storm, just another day with the sun shining and the birds chirping. The air didn't have any eerie chill. The only difference from today and yesterday was in her. Yesterday, everything made more sense than it ever had, she was doing well in school, her best friend was by her side, but today, she was lost. Everything was lost and there wasn't a list of clues as to where she could seek it. All alone, on her own.

"Fuck." She muttered and pulled out the bottle from her purse, popping the small blue anti-depressant, staring at the remainder a moment longer before downing two more and closing her eyes. She fell back onto the ledge, stared up at the sky, waiting for the earth to consume her, but knowing that it wouldn't. Just as she began to feel a bit floaty, a bird, a dove flew overhead. Regina sat up, maybe it was just her and her clusterfuck of emotions mixed with fake happy, but it was a sign. The dove was a sign. Birds.

Two weeks. Everything was going fine, she was living in with a friend and her grandmother for the remaining two years of high school. Or at least that was the plan.

"Rubes?" Regina called.

"Yeah." Ruby answered short from the bathroom where she was flat ironing her hair, as she did everyday, for an hour. Everyday.

"Do you mind if I take a shower?" She asked.

"No, go ahead."

Regina swallowed. "Alone."

Ruby let out a dramatic sigh and dropped the device she held, turning around. "Regina, you know, it takes a lot to look this good. I could care less if your tits are lopsided or whatever the fuck your deal is, but if you want to shower you're going to have to deal with me being two feet away from you."

Regina rolled her eyes and smacked the doorway, turning around to pick up her clothes for the day. "My tits aren't lopsided." She grumbled and moved to the downstairs bathroom, the one without hot water. It was worth it, because she couldn't let Ruby see her. No one could see her, she didn't even want to see herself.

Class always dragged on, especially politics. This teacher was ludicrously unorthodox, not that she minded, she always loved a bit of flare. This guy, though, he would just go on nonsensical rants for entire periods that would begin on 'Why America is Failing' and end with 'Moral differences between Russian and Somali Pirates.' Did Russia even have pirates?

"Regina Mills!" He called. Regina's head shot up, she'd zoned out about twenty minutes ago, and wasn't expecting to have to come back.

"Yes!" She squeaked.

"Come to me." He motioned for her to walk towards him, she did so, cautiously. "Regina, is it true that your mother is a murderer." Her blood ran cold.

"What do you- I mean-"

"Is it true that your father, killed her and himself so that they could escape you before you disappointed them." He said. "I think they always knew you'd amount to nothing. Yeah, that's why Mummy would get angry. You would cry, say you didn't understand but you do-"

"Stop it!" She began to cry.

"You know why they did this!"

"Stop!"

"You deserve this, it's all your fault!"

"Stop! Shut up!" She screamed as he babbled on, he grabbed her by the shoulders and began to shake her, she closed her eyes just as she thought it was all over-

"Regina!" It was him, the teacher. Regina stared up at him with wide eyes and around the classroom. They were all staring. Staring at her, with that look, that stupid look, like she was a dog left for dead on the road. She couldn't take it, she stood and glared at each of them as she ran out of the room.

She left.

She knew she'd have to come back, go back, but not today. So she got in her car and left, without a destination or a second thought. Right out of town, until she came to a stop, she decided it was a good a place as any, it was a pool. The Devil's pool, clear as day with a cliff as nature's diving board. Regina made her way to the top of the cliff and sat, the view, only thirty feet up, was as beautiful as she could have imagined.

"I don't know, if anyone can hear me. Or if any of this is really happening, but," Exaggeration on the T. "If I'm going crazy, I mean, am I? I just hate this, all of this is so stupid. I don't want to be me, I want to be someone who everyone fears, not someone who is the poster child for pity. I just want, to be me again. Why did she have to take that from me? Why did I let her take that from me?" She buried her head in her hands. "I let this happen."


	16. Chapter 16

Regina moved from her place in bed to check the time. 6 am. It'd been two days and she didn't know how or why but she hadn't gotten out of bed more than twice. Both of those times being to answer the door for her take out. The food containers were scattered across her beige comforter, some spilling over. It was probably time to throw those out.

"Disgust." She grumbled as she threw the blanket off of her and onto the floor, wrapping it up and disposing it in the trash can. Just as her phone began to ring from it's place on the wall. Regina just stared at it a moment, not really sure if answering was a good idea, but it was probably David calling in to ask her where the hell she's been.

"Hello?" She whispered, cleared her throat. "Hello." She said firmly.

"Regina what the hell?" It was David, and she was a psychic.

"David." She greeted. "How are you?"

"How am I? I'm- I'm fine, how are you?" He inquired.

"Been better." She answered, what was she doing? She was doubting if she even cared about her job at all. Wait, no. Wait. Yes, yes she did.

"Uh-huh, right." He said, she could hear his tone and it was slightly bitter. "And you didn't think it was a good idea to, oh I don't know, call in? You have a job to do, Regina. This isn't elementary school, you don't just get to not show up and then come back with a note saying it was all okay. I should fire you." He went on.

She laughed. "Fire me?" She asked. "Really?"

"You think I won't."

"You know it wouldn't be wise."

He paused. "Come in to work today or I won't think twice." He hung up, she slowly put the phone back in the holster and rubbed over her face before sighing aloud and heading to the shower. It was now or never.

An hour later she pulled into the station and slammed her door, clicking the button and hearing it lock she walked on in. Nodding to the receptionist she picked up her pace, not feeling up to running in to David just yet. Her office was locked so that was a good sign that he wasn't waiting for her in there.

Upon opening the door she found that she was correct, all there was was an empty and cold room that smelled just a hint like rock salt. Regina scrunched her nose and flicked on her light, setting it to it's dimmest setting as the drive over here was more than it's fair share of bright. She shimmied out of the leather trench coat she had bore and draped it over her chair before falling into it, and resting her forehead on the cool glass of her desk. Just as she was about to fall asleep, there was a knock on the door, she shot up.

"Come in." She replied, and in walked David, who smiled like he just won a little league game for the first time.

"I knew you'd show." He crossed his arms. "You okay?" He rubbed his forehead where she knew she had a red mark the size of a tea light. She rubbed it over, then sat straighter.

"I'm fine, just needed a couple of unplanned days off." She coughed and slipped a piece of gum between her teeth.

He nodded. "Okay. You know, that can't happen again, though, right?" He asked.

"Of course, completely unprofessional on my part." She replied.

"Glad we understand each other." He gestured to the seat. "May I?"

"Of course." She said and he sat. "What's happening?"

"Well, those girl's that came in with Emma, they went to foster care and it was, it was fine until they started having nightmares."

"Nightmares." She nodded slowly.

"Right, and it was fine, they, they went right back down after the other would wake up and do.. whatever they did." He shook his head. "Then it got violent, and the couple who took them it started waking up and trying to soothe them, but even after the woke up they would keep screaming. They didn't trust them, at all." Regina nodded so he would continue. "Well, I guess this went on for a week until it got bad and one thing led to another, Dad ends up with a broken nose." Regina raised her brow and looked impressed.

"So what now?" She asked.

"That's the problem." He shook his head. "They're good kids, nothing's wrong with them until it comes time to sleep and then they have these outbursts. They don't trust anyone, they probably never will. The worst part is, they keep asking for Emma."

"Well she was a big comfort for them for the past couple of years, so I would expect they wouldn't just forget her."

"I know, but Regina what am I supposed to do? I don't want these kids to suffer any more but Emma's just starting to get into the swing of having a normal life and this would be such a huge step backwards, and we don't have the room to take them in anyway. I don't know what to do, I don't want to have to put this on her, she's just a kid." He put his head in his hands.

"I know you want what's best for Emma, but you also see that she isn't getting better David. The drinking, the friends, the attitude, that's not better, or normal. I don't think that it would be a step backwards to put Emma back into a place where these kids are in her life. Sure they remind her of that time, but she doesn't need to forget this time, she needs to accept it and work past it. You're trying to blind her from it and make her feel like it never happened, but it did, David, it did. You're not helping by letting her forget, you're just putting a bandaid over a wound you never cleaned." She consulted.

"So what do I do?"

"I'll take the girls. I can work with them, and Emma, together. It's not a solution but it's a start." She said.

"Okay."

"Okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'll just, I'll call the center and see what we can do about getting them down here." He stood and went to the door. "Thank you." He said without looking back.

By the end of the day, Regina had an office full of two spunky blonde twins who thought that her desk was a spaceship and her couch was the moon. Also, the floor was shark infested waters and if you got too close you'd be gulped up by a hungry jaws. It was cute, and she let them play, but of course she had to play too, so she organized files and strategized while sitting cross legged with her heels on the desk.

"No, you stupid! I told you it was red not purple, we can't have a purple monkey!" Ava accused. It didn't take long to distinguish the personality differences between the two. Ava was the more assertive one. Eve was less of an 'in your face' asserter but more of a passive aggressive kind of girl, who would convince you nicely with her eyes to do as she pleases.

"I don't care, monkey's aren't red either." Eve replied, tucking her hair back behind her ears.

"But I said so." Ava retorted.

"I don't care what you say, this is my drawing." Eve drawled.

Regina smiled and listened to the carry on, they were really good kids, not too loud of rough with things. Ava had fallen off of the couch and hit her head on the table, but she didn't cry, just hit the table right back. That was when Regina suggested coloring.

"Gina?" Eve asked. Regina raised her eyes to the small girl who was now front and center to her desk.

"Yes, dear."

"You said Nemma would be here." She claimed.

"Yes, after she gets home from school."

"When?" Ava asked, listening in as she scribbled over the purple color of the monkey with a red crayon.

"In just about an hour. Hey, I have some.. uh, raisins, if you're hungry." Eve made a face.

"No one is that hungry." She said and turned around to join her sister, smacking her hand away as she whined a little about her defacing the purple monkey.

Regina pulled out her phone as it began to buzz. It was Emma calling.

"Regina!" Emma cried before she even had the chance to say hello.

"Yes?" She replied.

"You have them?" She asked.

"The girls', yes. David told you about the plan?" She asked.

"Yes! I'm stoked, I've missed them so much, I'm at lunch right now, could you pick me up early?" She asked, Regina could hear her practically jumping out of her skin.

"No, it's only another hour and I'm already on David's shit list." She said. "Make sure you pack a bag." She said and after a quick goodbye, hung up.

Emma swung into the office a couple of hours later just as the twins were starting to get antsy.

"My precious sunshines!" She cried as she twirled around the door.

"Nemma!" Was simultaneously cried out as the older girl was lunged at. Regina smiled as she watched the interaction, before long Emma turned to her, clad in leggings and an oversized hoodie with a dragon it, she looked adorable and she smiled. Then, Eve pulled on her fishtail braid and asked her to do hers. Emma nodded and asked her to turn around, then she weaved her hair into the design and then of course, Ava was next, but she wanted double braids.

Once Emma was done playing salon she had to sit through the gallery of art that the girls' had created in the last couple of hours. She ooh'd and ahh'd and pointed out her favorites, putting aside three that they then snuck to stick on the station's fridge.

Emma and the girls came back into the room, the tallest blonde smiled and sat on the floor next to Regina, followed closely by the twins.

"Gina! You touch the floor." Ava cried and pointed to her nylon covered toes that danced over the plastic chair mat. Emma rested her head against Regina's thigh and looked to Ava.

"She is safe. I am the lifeguard and I declare it shark free." She then made a poof noise. "All gone."

"That not how it works." Eve glared at her.

"Yes it is." Emma detested.

"No it not."

"It is now." She smiled wide. "Right, Gina?"

"No, Gina stay out." Eve pointed to Emma. "This her war."

"Regina is with me." Emma said.

"No." Eve declared. "I hungry." She announced, bored with war, as is everyone.

"Me, too." Ava agreed.

"Me three." Emma looked up to Regina, who was writing something on her post it pad. "Regina." She drew out until the woman looked down at her. Emma reached up and poked under her chin. "You look funny from this angle."

"That's not the way you want to talk to the one who's going to be taking you to such an establishment."

"Funny, pretty." Emma corrected, squishing her cheeks. Regina slapped the hand away and pushed her head off her thigh.

"Okay, it's almost 5 anyway." Regina shrugged, turned off her computer and then slipped on her shoes. The girls jumped up, now victorious and Emma went to go clean up the mess they had made. Then she picked up their bags and let them take their respective stuffed animals.

"I think we should go before I fall." Emma said strained.

"Did you overhype your abilities to carry things?" Regina asked, brow raised.

"Just a little." Emma replied, readjusting. Regina moved to take one of the bags but Emma whipped around. "No! No, help!" She accented. Regina shrugged and the group went out and to the car. Once settled, the girls' in booster seats and Emma in the front, the latter ran back in to the station to say her goodbye's to David. She was back before long with a smile on her face.

"So where to?" Regina asked after she'd buckled.

"Not sure, what are you guys in the mood for?" She asked.

"Chicken." Ava answered.

"Soup." Eve went on.

"Kay. So, that." Emma went on and grinned. "I'll eat anything."

"Okay, I know the place." Regina started the car and pulled out of the lot. They drove to the sound of alternative rock and then they pulled in front of a little brick building where it was the brightest place on the street. Inside it was all different colors of christmas lights strung across the ceiling wildly and nailed to the wall like vines, though those were all green.

"This place is awesome." Emma smiled as the hostess dressed in all black sauntered up with a handful of menus.

"Four?" She asked, Regina nodded and the girl smiled and guided them to a booth in the back. Ava and Eve sat on one side and Emma and Regina on the other. The four flipped through their menus, the girls pointing at what looked good on the other's paper. "So, drinks?" The waitress asked upon her return.

"Juice." Ava bubbled.

"Okay, apple, cranberry, orange, pineapple, grape?" She asked.

"Apple."

"Pineapple." Eve replied, the waitress smiled and turned to Emma and Regina. Regina elbowed Emma to go first.

"Oh, uh strawberry lemonade." She answered quietly.

"Sorry I didn't get that?" The waitress leaned in.

"Strawberry lemonade and Sprite for me." Regina answered.

"We only have Sierra Mist." The waitress answered, with the face people make when they accidentally crush your dreams.

"Water is fine, then." She said. The waitress nodded and let to get the orders. "Sierra Mist, my ass." She muttered, Emma chuckled.

"Nemma." Eve chirped. Emma met her eyes. "I saw the world break."

"What?" Emma asked and laughed breathlessly.

"The world, it broke because purple was purple then it was green and now it's purple."

"The lights?" Emma asked.

"No, the ceiling."

"Right," Emma nodded and then the girl burst in to giggles. "What's the most fun thing you guys have done since you got here?" She asked.

"Oh! Our friends took us to the carnival. We rode rides and saw ponies." Ava replied.

"Sounds like fun! Did you ride the ponies?" Emma asked.

"Mhm." Ava nodded.

"It was more funner when we went to the beach far away." Eve interjected.

"No." Ava deadpanned.

"You stupid." Eve shrugged as the waitress returned with drinks and coloring pages.

"Thank you." Regina said.

"Yep. Orders?" She smiled and pulled out her notepad.

"Girls?" Regina asked.

"I want the chicken, please." Ava answered.

"Quesodill." Eve answered. The waitress laughed a little and wrote down what she meant.

"And fries." Both of them nodded.

"Um, can I have the this thing-" Emma pointed to a chicken melt. "And onion rings instead of fries." The girl nodded and averted her eyes to Regina as the girls got busy with coloring in a picture of dolphins.

"Vegetable stew in a bread bowl." She answered. "Spicy." Then smiled as she collected the menus and directed them towards the girl.

"Got it, thanks." Then she winked and went back to the kitchen.

"Ooh, Regina, she winked at you." Emma sang. She looked to the girls, but they weren't paying any mind.

"I'm sure it was you she was winking at, she's far closer to your age than mine."

Emma laughed. "Since when does that mean anything." The blonde snaked her hands around Regina's waist and leaned into her.

"Emma, no." Regina scooted away. "I look like a cougar."

"They probably think you're my mom, this isn't weird."

"That's even worse, plus I am not, and the fact that you said that makes this even more uncomfortable." She looked around.

"Regina." She whined. "Don't be so prude."

"I-" She laughed. "I am not prude, I am a 33 year old woman who wishes for you not to make passes at me in a restaurant with small children around. Or at all!"

"Aw, you say it like you mean it."

"I do, Emma!"

"Whatever you say." She sang.

"I do!" Regina defended.

"Your continuing argument isn't making your case any more convincing." Emma replied.

"You're annoying." Regina huffed and fiddled with her napkin until it opened to uncover silverware. "I bet this isn't real silver."

"Of course it isn't, this is a restaurant not a palace." Emma answered.

"That means nothing, where is the class!" She went on.

"I assume that all of your cutlery is silver?" Emma asked.

Regina looked down. "Well, no, but I still expect it."

"It's okay, dreams were meant to be crushed." Emma soothed.

"How reassuring."

"I should do this professionally." Emma smirked as their food was placed on the table. "Yay!" She clapped.

By the time they got home, the girl's were wore out. Before they'd been taken to Regina, the family they were with before had taken them to the park to say goodbye. They crashed out in the car, so Emma and Regina were left to carry them upstairs. That also meant that they had to leave the bags in the trunk.

Once the twins were placed in the guest bed they stretched out and tangled into the sheets. Regina and Emma smiled then left the room, leaving the door open a crack.

"Do we really have to go get the bags, too?" Emma asked.

"I suppose not." She rubbed her neck. "I'm not used to heavy lifting."

"Okay." Emma breathed. "So yeah, where do I sleep?"

Regina nodded. "Well there's the couch but I guess you can bunk with me, if you want."

Emma smiled and moved to Regina's door. "Why don't you have a blanket?" She asked, seeing the black sheets but no blanket.

"I uh, had to throw it away. I was having an episode and it fell victim." She explained.

Emma nodded. "Right. So, closet?"

"Yeah." Regina answered and then went to the bathroom to change into her previous night's attire. Oversized shirt from a gas station in Japan when she had visited in freshman year of college, and spandex. Emma was already curled into a ball on the right side of the bed. Regina looked away and tried not to smile as she slid in next to her, and pulled over the white down blanket. She turned off the light and fell into the spell of sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Trudging through the open door, hands weighed down by two duffles, Emma took in the scent of the home she'd been missing.

For three weeks, she'd been living in with Regina and the girls, but Matriarch Mary Margret had insisted that it was far too long, now that the twins could sleep through the night and did not need her as a constant.

Emma wasn't sure now, whether to be relieved or angry, as her feeling towards Regina were no longer the eye of the hurricane, but the hurricane itself. A lot had happened in those three weeks, it was a time in her life that she would not soon forget.

As she hopped up the stairs with little glee, she realized that what she felt was relief, relief to be away from the burning fire of the woman who had taken her life and liquified it. Emma fell into her bed, listening to the sounds of the house, the smell that she recognized the second she'd walked in, that of fresh laundry and dried tomatoes. Downstairs, David was animatedly telling Henry about a car chase that he'd led just that day, MM was clanging with pots and pans, trying to prepare dinner for that evening. James, was silent, as he is a baby.

Then, there was Emma, swimming in sheets and confusion as she stare up at the popcorn of the ceiling. The All American Family, as pictured here.

**3 weeks prior**

Regina woke with a warmth on her chest, wet from the breath of the girl, she took in her breath shakily and moved out of the position. Looking down, she watched as Emma readjusted to her absence and sighed in relief, she wasn't ready to entertain just yet. Moving to the bathroom, she brushed her teeth, pulled sleep mused hair up into a bun, the washed over her face with a hot towel.

Now refreshed, she checked on two snoring twins, then moved into the kitchen. Picking up an apple she studied it, different shades of red with a hint of yellow, she wondered where it came from, the rolled her eyes, way too early for such a thought. Way too early for anything, she thought as she peered over the clock reading 6:17. Luckily, it was Saturday and she did not have to work, the girl's did not have school, the day was up to exploration.

It hadn't quite sunk in until now just how much she was dealing with, she had two children and a teenage living in with her. With her, reclusive and introverted as she liked to be, now had to be open and welcoming all of a sudden, she hadn't even had time to think or adjust, she just had to act.

Change is good, change is what opens up the mind. No! Regina bit into the apple, water from the wash dripping down her chin, she wiped it violently. That was just some bullshit in her college handbook, she didn't like bullshit, yet her life was structured by it. Ironic.

Irony, that's what life is built on, but what kind? Dramatic Irony.

Now deep in contemplation, staring out onto the bustling street below, Regina didn't notice the body shuffling into the room, wrapped in a throw that had been on her chair.

"Goodmorning." Emma said quietly.

Regina blinked and wiped away the cloud of thought over her eyes as she turned. "Emma." She nodded. "Um, how did you sleep?"

"Fine, and you?" Emma regarded.

"Well, thank you." Regina replied, leaning into the counter before her. Emma took a seat at the bar, the same one she'd taken up that first morning, after the party, and rest her head on her extended arm. She yawned and closed her eyes, nestling into the blanket. "If you're still tired, it's early still." Regina told.

Emma shook her head. "No, I just don't like mornings." Regina nodded in response. "So, why are you awake then?" She asked.

Regina shrugged and shook her head. "Just accustomed, I suppose."

"Okay." Emma answered. "I was thinking," she sat up, "we should go hiking or something today." Emma looked to Regina, then the stove, then back to Regina.

"Uh," she started, "yeah, I mean we can check with the girls, but that sounds like a plan."

Emma nodded, then stood. "Cool, so, do you have any juice?"

Three hours later, the quadrant was sitting in the car, clad in jeans and tennis shoes, heading towards Kempton to the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. The radio was playing the Gold album by Cat Stevens, the girls were coloring and Emma had her foot out the window, head resting on her hand as the sun shone off her braided hair.

Regina was enjoying the quite and just kept her eyes on the road, occasionally glancing over at Emma to see if she was alright. Or, maybe just to look, but she liked to stick to the first answer. The leaves falling from the trees were all shades of red and orange, some already fallen were that of brown and beige, they mushed into a colorful rush as they sped past.

She'd been excited for this outing, because she had wanted to bond with the girls more, they had taken a liking to her but unsurprisingly preferred Emma, which would have to change since it wasn't a permanent living arrangement. The teen had school, which wasn't too short a drive from her condo, and she knew that she belonged at home with her parents, where she could get the kind of stability she needed.

Regina knew that she was not a stable, she knew she was no good for Emma, but it wasn't just a one way street, Emma wasn't good for her either, she was forbidden. Being with Emma was like the last drag of a cigarette before the heat became too much and it had to be put out.

But what of the ashes?

**Present**

In her house, littered with toys and crayons, filled with the sounds of happy children, the smell of baking brownies, she felt empty. All around her were reasons to feel joy, but she couldn't find it in herself to embrace them, she wanted, no, deserved to feel this emptiness. It was a sort of punishment.

With a sigh, she poured herself another glass of wine, white, as it did't bring her to sleep. It was almost comical, she had become a wine mom.

Motherhood, something she had never wished upon herself, something she didn't even want, but had been given. Was this a gift? If it was, why wasn't she happy? She had no idea what she was doing with these children, she didn't want them, but she couldn't give them up.

Where had her life gone? One morning she was free to do her job, stay out late, leave her things where she will, but now, she has to cook, and clean, and be home all the time. Not just because she wants to but because she needs to. Had she little a heart she would take the girls back, find them a home, but it had taken this long for them to be alone with her, and how would they feel if they were given up and away again? No child should have to bear the scare of being unwanted.

This was her life now, it was full. The way she should be.

It was Emma, she missed her. She had grown accustomed to her presence in her bed, in her life, but now she was gone, and Regina felt a bit lost. The puzzle of her life missing a single piece, never to be completed or replaced with another.

"Gina!" Ava tugged at her flannel shirt, draped over her.

Regina blinked sleepily, then looked down. "Yes, dear?"

"Will you put on Nemo, please?" She asked, then wore a pouty face.

"Yes, go find it for me, will you?" She asked, sniffing she straightened herself and made way to the living room where Eve was playing with her model horses, the girl hadn't even noticed her, too wrapped up in the cantering motions she had set her pony in.

"Here go." Ava said, pushing it towards her, Regina took the dish, already taken out of the box and wiped over it before sliding it into the Blu Ray player.

Regina smiled at the girls and told them that brownies would be ready soon then went back to the kitchen and sat on the counter, sighing into her now full glass.

Glaring out upon the window she wondered about what would come of her and her career if people found out about the affair with Emma, surly, she'd be put in prison. Would she visit her? No, she shook her head, she wouldn't want that. What would come of the girl's, they would be placed back into the system, and would she be labeled a child molester?

She wasn't that, she wasn't! It had been consented, she would never touch Emma, or anyone for that matter, against their will. She didn't have to.

Looking back on that night she sees that it was wrong, that it shouldn't have happened, but it did, and the worst part of it being that she had enjoyed it.

**4 days prior**

"They are now asleep," Emma closed the door, "thank _God."_ She chuckled.

Regina was sitting in bed, her legs covered with a sheet, scrolling through an app introduced to her by one of her clients called I-Funny. "Excellent, I was afraid they had guilted you into reading a whole novel."

Emma rid herself of her sweats and jumped into the bed, Regina nearly falling over with the intrusion. "Nope!" She said, sitting criss cross as she pulled open the book she had been reading, House Rules by Jodi Picoult.

Regina tried not to, but she lacked self control, she glanced down where she could see tiny hairs peeking out from the barrier of Emma's underwear, cotton with little flowers. Too lost in her book, she didn't notice.

Regina crossed her legs and sniveled, trying to ignore the sensation between them. She turned her phone back on and started to read through her extensive list of unread emails. Nothing that she cared about, but she needed a distraction.

"I can't do this." Emma slammed her book shut. "That room." She turned to Regina.

"Emma I told you-"

"Yeah, not my business, but Regina, what the hell?" Emma huffed.

"I don't know what you want me to say." Regina shut her phone off and placed it on the night stand. "Honestly, Emma, you don't get the _right_ to be upset, you went snooping through my house and demand answers as to what you find. I don't think so." She scoffed.

"Don't turn this around on me, you're the one with a fucking torture chamber, like what? Who does that?" Emma questioned.

"It's not a torture chamber, and I would prefer if you could refrain from swearing."

"Fuck, shit, bitch, cunt, damn, hell, whore, slut," Emma protested.

"Emma Swan!" Regina scolded. "Stop being a child!"

Emma raised her brow. "Dick." She finished.

Regina pinched her face and shook her head. "Are you finished."

Emma hummed and looked up to the fan. "Ah, _cocksucker."_ Regina inhaled and balled her fist. "Oh, you wanna hit me, yeah?" Emma asked. "Go ahead, see that's what your in to." Emma lifted her chin and extended her arms, an open target.

"You will stop this, immediately."

"Regina, who are you?" Emma asked, shaking her head. "Like really, what happened? I thought you trusted me."

"Emma, it's not about trust," Regina relaxed, "it's just, you don't need to know every single thing about me, and this is my life, my home."

"And I'm not apart of that." Emma finished.

Regina rolled her eyes and sighed. "No, that's not it. I just don't want you to think less of me, after all you've been through and it just doesn't seem like the kind of thing you would approve of."

"If it's something you do, then I approve, I enjoy everything about you." Emma told.

"It's just that," she shook her head, "I'm not ready to let it go."

"Let what go?"

"My room." She said.

"The weird one?"

"Yes, the play room."

"Play?" Emma shook her head.

"For my job, not the one you know of, another one."

"She stalls." Emma urged.

"Yes, well it's not exactly easy to say to-"

"A child." Emma mocked.

"Emma, you know I don't think you are a child, even though you tend to act like one more often than not."

"Insults." Emma scoffed.

"I'm sorry." Regina smiled.

"Now, off with the bandage!" She told.

"How about you guess." Regina said instead.

"Like," a nod, "oh, okay," Emma thought over, "serial killer."

"Try legal."

"Ah, well, then you're a Dom, but that doesn't surprise me enough."

"It doesn't?" Regina asked.

Emma shook her head. "No," she laughed, "I mean it's pretty obvious already, and aside from the lair." She looked to Regina. "So, I'm right?"

"In a sense, I mean, yes." She answered, covered her face. "Now I'm embarrassed." She chuckled. Emma turned bright red.

"Don't be." She said, scooting closer. "Do you trust me, Regina?"

Regina looked up and into green eyes. "Yes, I told you," she began.

"Then show me." Emma whispered. Regina felt her stomach tighten, of course she'd been waiting for this occasion, she didn't know how it would play out, but this isn't exactly what she'd had in mind.

"Emma, I can't-"

"Don't you want to?" Emma teased, her hand running up Regina's thigh, burning the surface. "I see the way you look at me, I know you want to _fuck_ me, yeah?"

"I-" Regina stuttered.

"Sh sh," Emma hushed, "you can do whatever you want." She whispered into her ear, pushing the hair behind it. "Tell me what you want me to do."

**Present**

As her family moved around her in slow motion, she felt herself detaching from her body, staring into the darkness of the sitting room beyond the kitchen, where she could hardly hear the album that spilled from the player in it's hearth. Emma felt herself, her body was hot and fuzzy, she could see the blurred images of Henry, David, her mother.

They were yet to have the conversation, but she knew, she knew that they were her parents. She hoped and prayed that they would never have that conversation, but she also knew her mother, and the women liked to talk.

"Emma?" Came her name from the real world. "Emma?"

Emma blinked and turned to see David beside her, hand on her shoulder, chills ran through her veins from his hand on her. "Uh," she stuttered.

"Are you alright, kiddo?" He asked, moved to place the back of his hand on her forehead. "Ouch," he shook it, mocking hurt, "you're burning up, you feeling okay?"

Emma just shook her head, feeling her throat as it began to close. "I-" she managed, just as her vision became blurred, the edges of her sight were closing in black.

She heard a dull thud, felt the cool edge of the floor, then nothing.

**4 days prior**

"Tell me what you want me to do," Emma hushed.

Regina swallowed, felt her body begin to hum in anticipation. She felt her inhibitions wash away, all there was in that moment was them. "Lie back." She croaked.

Emma did so, her skin tingling. "What now?" She asked.

"Don't speak." Regina ordered, finding her voice, this is what she did best. "Close your eyes." Emma did so, Regina grinned salaciously as she moved to the foot of the bed. "Bring your knees up, open your legs." Emma did so, chest heaving. "How do you feel, Emma?" Regina asked.

"Am I supposed to answer that?" Emma asked.

"You may speak if directly spoken to." Regina nodded. "How do you feel?"

"I feel, uh, fine."

"Are you wet?'

Emma's breath hitched. "Yes."

"What do you want?" Regina asked slowly.

"I want you to touch me." Emma replied.

"Mm," Regina hummed, "you know what I want?" She didn't wait for a response. "I want you to touch yourself." She licked over her lips. "Do as I wish, and touch yourself, Emma." Emma brought her hand up shakily to rest over her mound, covered with the flowers of her panties. "Use your thumb to circle over your clit," Regina asked, Emma did so, too quickly for her liking, "slower." She watched as the girl jerked her thumb back into check.

Regina listened as her breath became ragged, she tried to quicken her movements. "Ah, ah," Regina scolded mildly, "I said slowly." Emma slowed her pace and Regina smirked at her obedience. "That's my good girl." She praised. "Tell me, did you dream of this? Of me?" She asked.

"Yes." Emma chirped.

"Mm, and in these _fantasies_ did they end with you screaming my name for the whole world to hear?" Emma stayed silent. "You will answer me."

"Yes." Emma replied reluctant.

Regina chuckled low in her throat. "Are you a screamer, Em-ma?"

"I don't know." Emma hesitated.

" _I don't know,_ " Regina mocked, "hm, we'll find out soon enough, though, won't we, _dear."_ Regina pushed a stand of hair out of her face. "Now, I want you, keeping your thumb where it is, and with your index finger, I want you to finger yourself." Emma pushed aside the cotton barrier, oh so slowly, and did as told.

Licking over her lips she watched as the thin digit twitched in and out of the tight hole, in an attempt to find release. Emma's breath became ragged, as she carried on. Regina smiled at the sight, her cheeks flushed as she touched herself. "Take these off," Regina ordered, snapping the elastic on the underwear Emma wore. "Actually," she pushed down her hands as she went to do such, "allow me." Regina told, and slowly removed the garment. Emma's hips rose to help guide, then Regina took her ankles in her hands, the blonde loose as a rag doll, butter in her arms.

The older woman leaned in close, whispered in Emma's ear, "keep going."

Emma let out a small noise before she could catch herself, then went back to her activities. Regina let this continue a moment, moving back down to the foot of the bed to give a look at the blonde's glistening fruit. "I want you, with your other hand, to play with your breast." Regina instructed, Emma did so, moving under her tank to pinch at her rose bud.

Regina took in a breath as she watched, feeling herself begin to grow hot. "Are you okay?" She asked, breaking the tension.

"Mhm." Emma moaned. Relieved, Regina carried on enjoying the show as she had written it.

The brunette wanted so badly to give in to herself, to touch herself, but she didn't, she wouldn't allow herself.

"I'm-" Emma sighed.

"I told you not to speak!" Regina snapped, Emma paused a moment, shut her mouth. "What were you going to say, pet?" She sighed.

"I'm.. close." Emma said in a breath.

"You wanna come?" Regina teased, Emma nodded. "Yes?"

"Yes."

"No." Regina tested. "Stop, cup yourself." Slowly, Emma followed, her toes curling, trying. "What are you thinking?"

Emma paused, inhaled, but didn't let out the breath. "I want to see you, and I want you to.." she trailed off.

"We finish our sentences, here." Regina told. "Don't be shy."

Emma let out her breath. "I want you to make me come."

"What do you want me to do, hm?"

"I-" Emma tried. "Everything."

"Yeah?" Regina asked, the girl hummed in response. "You want me to," she paused, "do," another, "everything." Regina moved her hands to the hem of Emma's shirt and lifted it up, the girl raising her arms so she could remove it. "Look how beautiful," she trailed her fingers over her pale, scarred stomach, avoiding her breasts, over her collar bones. Emma shivered beneath her, though the touch was red hot, she felt cold, she felt as if she were being branded while laying in a heap of snow.

Regina moved lower, to her hips, no longer sticking out, but blended into her skin as they should. Emma twitched as she neared her core. Regina smiled and fall to lay next to her, still tracing the eager skin of her girl. Emma felt think hair tickling her thigh, she stayed silent.

Feeling as if she had done enough teasing, Regina moved to cup the girl, who's liquid excitement coated over her hand with just a touch. "So, so wet." The woman tsk'd.

Emma tried to hold back a cry, but the woman had heard. She merely smiled and ran her cold digits through the heated core of the blonde, decorated by curly little hairs. "Don't be afraid to scream for me." She told, Emma let out a short moan as Regina entered her with a single finger, curling about the spongy embankment.

Moving between thin legs, she was faced with the tight pussy of the girl, she could smell her musk, she could hear the sounds her finger made as it moved in and out of the dilated hole. Emma's breathing was hard, she grasped the sheets, trying to be still as she was overtaken by pleasure.

Regina entered her with another finger and slowly twirled them about the pool, she wondered how long the girl would be able to last.

Deciding it wouldn't be a hard task, Regina removed her fingers, to the disappointment of her girl, then moved to blow on her swollen nerve, pink and looking for attention. Regina ignored it as it called to her, instead moving to work her tongue through flooded walls, lapping up the essence. Regina licked over her nether lips, the apex of her thighs, but left alone where she was most wanted. Emma was sounding with rhythm, letting out small cries of pleasure.

Regina moved her hand up to hardened nipples and tweaked them, palming the small breast, running and rubbing over it as she pressed her tongue into the breathing hole. Moving in all directions, stretching the walls as they worked against her muscle, she listened to the music of Emma. As the walls tightened like never before, she removed herself and went to take the abandoned clit between her teeth.

Emma let out a long cry as she sucked the nerve into her mouth, raking her teeth lightly over it. Hips bucked up, Regina used both hand to keep her leveled on the bed as she took in a hard breath.

Entering with two fingers, Regina twirled over with her tongue, the swollen clit, and with reckless abandon, fucked Emma's pussy until she came with a shaking cry. Waves of fluids came crashing down onto her, squirting out and onto the bed and Regina continued moving in and out of the blonde's tight hole, Emma moaned and moved into each thrust, turning to jelly.

Regina lapped up some of the juices that had erupted from the girl as she twirled and carried on over her core.

Emma spilled, breathing hard, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Stop." She breathed, another moan. "Stop! Please." She was able to say.

Regina removed herself and sat up, moving up to Emma's side, the girl's eyes still closed, her breath unable to find a balance.

"Emma, are you okay?" Regina asked, worried she'd triggered her. Emma just laughed.

"Fabulous." She said, voice shaking.

"Look at me." Regina asked, moving to tuck wet strands of hair behind the girls ear.

"Can't, mhm." Emma replied, moving her arm up to grip Regina's arm, she pulled her down, wrapped her leg around her, curled into her. "Thank you." She said.

Regina kissed her crown and nodded. She listened as Emma's breathing found it's pace, and she fell into a deep sleep.

"Fuck," Regina said, voice breaking as she began to cry, her head hitting the wall. That's how she fell into slumber, only minutes later.

**Present**

"Snow, she's fine, we don't need to take her to the hospital." David's voice flooded in.

"That's what you said when I went into labor! 'Oh no, M, it's just a cramp,'" she mocked, "asshole." She muttered.

"Hey, you were whiny that whole pregnancy, so excuse me for not, no, you know what, I'm sorry." He replied. "You're right. I think I know everything, you're right, I'm wrong, as always."

"You just want me to shut up."

"Your words." He said.

Mary Margret huffed and left the room. Emma opened her eyes, feeling a weight sink her down. Looking around she saw she was in her room, with a rag on her forehead.

"Hey kiddo." David replied upon seeing her eyes upon. "How are you?"

Emma shook her head and tried to sit up, feeling heavy. "I'm," she told, "tired."

"You remember anything?" He asked. Emma shook her head again. He told her about her fainting, then asked if she needed anything.

"Can I just be left alone a little while, please." She asked.

He nodded. "Will you just," he turned to the door where MM was waiting nervously, "talk to your mother a moment?"

Emma nodded and smiled, he stood and left, MM soon taking his place. "Hi, baby." She said, hand on Emma's thigh and she squeezed. "You want anything to eat?"

"No thanks," Emma chuckled, "I'm good."

"I think you should eat something, that could be why you fainted, you know, you're looking too pale, you-" she moved to cup Emma's chin. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Mary Margret shook her head, eyes watering. "For everything, for," she wiped her eyes, "you know, I'll let you get some rest." She kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Goodnight."

As she was leaving the room, Emma watched, seeing sadness rise in her features. "Ma," she said, "I love you." She smiled weakly, MM stopped and smiled wide.

"I love you too." She replied and closed the door.

Emma fell back into her pillow and let herself relax, she tried to fight the urge to cry, but it was too strong, she felt lost, she didn't know what to do, she felt like a stranger in her home. Emma turned into her pillow and curled into it, allowing herself to cry.

She fell asleep just as her tears began to dry.

 


End file.
